[pct-l] How did you get your trail name?

[AsABat" <AsABat@xxxxxxxxxxxx (AsABat)]

Contrary to the belief of a few hiking partners, my trail name does not
refer to hiking "as a bat out of Hades." Rather, it refers to "blind as a
bat." In 1996 and 1997 I had new corneas installed. Prior to the transplants
I spent a short time legally blind because of keratoconus. Hence, I was
blind as a bat. When others ask how I got my name, I relate this information
and remind them to fill out their organ donor cards.

Not drawing any comparisons to myself, I can relate to John Muir who, before
his conservationist career, was quite the inventor. He punctured an eye in
an industrial accident and lay in darkness for two months until his vision
slowly returned. That was a turning point in his life, and he later wrote,

"Now had I arisen from the grave!
God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us lessons,"

and later,

"I bade adieu to all my mechanical inventions,
determined to devote the rest of my life to the study of the inventions of
God."

BTW, yes, I spell it as one word. I started out writing it "Asabat" but
confused too many people, so adopted the funky capitalization "AsABat."

AsABat