[pct-l] Re: Getting off work

[darkbodhi at yahoo.com (shane wohlken)]

In short, my girlfriend and I just up and quit
our jobs (jobs we both enjoyed, I must add) in
order to spend 2005 hiking the PCT.  That's the
"how" of it all, but now the "why". . .

In early 2004, I traveled three states to the
east to visit my 94-year-old grandmother on her
death bed.  We talked about a great many things,
including all that she accomplished in her life,
and all that she didn't.  I can't say that she
really had any regrets, but as we were talking, I
began to think about all of my dreams.  The PCT
was right there at the top of my list.  At that
point though, I was still only thinking in terms
of "Hmm, I should make sure to hike the PCT
before I die so that I have no regrets."  But
then my grandmother said something to me that put
a lump in my throat and immediately made
everything other than my dream seem like
ridiculous wastes of time (including my very well
liked job).  She said, "It so strange.  I'm
ninety four years old and it seems like just
yesterday when I was twelve."  That hit me hard. 
I realized in that split second that in a blink,
I too will be on my death bed wondering how I got
there so fast.  When you time is up--poof, there
is no going back, no tinkering and reworking, and
no playing out the what-ifs.

I'm not sure why we are here or what this life
all means, but if we don't explore the crap out
of it when we have the chance, then it all seems
for naught.

Shane

P.S. *Warning: soapbox talk* I'm always amazed by
the people who say that they can't embark on
adventures such at the PCT because of
families/houses/jobs, etc.  The fact is you can
make any reality you wish.  Families do it all
the time (didn't a young family with their 10
year old daughter just finish the PCT?), to say
otherwise is to buy into the brainwashing drivel
we have been force fed by our corporate society
from day one.  The only person who can make it
too hard is the one who thinks it's too hard. 
O.K., I'm off the soapbox now.



		
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