Re: [pct-l] Why do I hike?

[csmith@lib.drury.edu]

--On Saturday, November 14, 1998, 10:07 PM -0500 Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>
wrote: 
 
> And now there's the final question ----    Why do YOU hike?  

A good question, J. Owen.  If there's a backpacker out there who doesn't ask
this question of themselves (and other questions as well), I'd be surprised.

Quite recently, I've posted a long message on the backpack-l list as to why
I got into backpacking, so I won't go into the details again.  Backpacking
centers me (which is kind of a New Age phrase); meaning that:

In this world, where materialism and acquisitiveness seem to pass for
accomplishment and achievement, where corporate and political manipulation
of people's lives is pervasive, and in which the dehumanization of
individuals seems to be a goal (despite all the politicians' doubletalk), to
backpack is to let my body and my mind work together to find out that there
is still a natural world that I belong to.

A natural world, in which I can sling the pack on, walk, sweat, observe my
surroundings, fit in, and ultimately rid myself of the "stuff" that hinders
my progress as an emotional, spiritual human being.

And since I'm part of this natural world, by walking in it, I can see that
there is a natural order, too, and that human creations (including the built
environment, technology, and all the good and the terrible that comes along
with that) are a part of that natural order.  I may not like parts of it,
but since I can think and reason, as well as feel emotions and a spiritual
connection, I can think of ways to better the world.  Small ways, maybe,
ways that may not greatly affect the megacorporations and uncaring,
bureaucratic governments.

Getting out there often helps me to do that.

Craig Smith
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================