Re: [pct-l] Re: Room 4 everybody

[Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>]

Jeff Thompson wrote:
> But first, may I comment on the common implication that ThruHikers
> are special and even enlightened.  

Jeff - 
As long as I've been on this list no one has ever mentioned the word
"enlightened" in regard to thruhiking.  If you want to discuss it, we
can do that but it would be a first.  

For the "special" part - I've already covered that.  I'll refer you to
my post under this same title (Tue, 26 Jan 1999 18:38:25). You're trying
to tree the wrong coon here.  

Now - where did you get this "common implication" stuff?  The only
people  I've seen "imply" that kind of thing are those who are ignorant
of what thruhiking is and what it's about. 

You should also know that ThruHiking/ThruHiker are not words that I
recognize. Semantically, those capital letters indicate either mockery
or antagonism (or both).  Is that really what you want?

Now --- that was one sentence of your post.  I could go through your
entire post line by line - but that would be boring for everyone
(especially me). Since I'm the most obvious target of your post and I
don't have time to play your game, let's just get to the bottom line. 

You said:
> The attitude of some towards non-ThruHikers seems to be not just
> superior, but to wish they weren't on the list, that they aren't
> equals.  Some describe Gatherings with this same, cultish, angle.
> This list is for everyone, though, and it is sad that some feel free
> to, and are freely allowed to, attack non-ThruHikers on this list
> such as Mrs. Jensen with such hateful cruelty.  I think she was
> right to suggest we not divide and judge each other.  If we keep our
> ears open, we might continue to grow.  "Minds are like parachutes,
> they only function when open."

Let's start with your most obvious misunderstanding - and I hope Tom
doesn't mind this.  Tom Reynolds is not a thruhiker.  More than that -
he and I started out at odds with each other. But Tom's attitude and
actions (as expressed in both private and public posts) have indicated
that he's a knowledgeable, reasonable, honest, and honorable person with
a real interest in the PCT, the people on this list and even thruhiking.
I've never met Tom - nor am I likely to in the forseeable future, but I
like and respect him.  I also respect the vast majority of people on
this list whether they're thruhikers or section hikers or day hikers ---
or dreamers.  I don't frankly care whether you're a thruhiker or not as
long as you have a real interest in thruhiking and/or the PCT. 

The "superior" attitude toward "non-thruhikers" that you refer to may
simply be the lack of respect on my part toward those who lack honor,
honesty or integrity. It has nothing to do with "thruhiker vs
non-thruhiker".  Nor will I apologize for that. 

One of the mistakes you've made is assuming that "This list is for
everyone".  Not so - it's for those who have a real interest in the PCT
and/or thruhiking.  Many of the people on this list are either past
or future thruhikers. Many of them are section hikers - and there are
probably a few dayhikers who have no interest in backpacking or
thruhiking. So far I've seen no one but you and Ms Jensen make any
suggestion about dividing or judging people either individually or as 
groups.  I'd suggest that you go back and actually read my "Thruhiking -
What If" post.  It was specifically written in opposition to those who
would judge others - how did you miss that?  Ms Jensen's twisting of
words to insinuate that I was judging others is her problem - and, 
apparently, yours. Have you actually read the post that you're
attacking?  You can also find out where I stand on this subject at
http://www.circumtech.com/outdoors/thruhikingpapers/  (Part 3).  

As for Ms Jensen, she seems to be making a career of misinterpreting
 what I write.  What she's gotten in return is only a dim reflection of
what she's given - and much less than she deserves.  She should be
thankful for that.  You seem to think I've attacked her - and that's not
true.  Keep in mind that it was Ms Jensen who announced to one list
member that she was having a feud with me on the list.  But she hasn't
bothered to tell me that yet. 

What I've done is to present some facts that contradict some of what
she's written, suggest a few points that Ms Jensen needs to consider
and ask questions that have been answered only by insinuation, innuendo
and attacks by people like you. I have yet to get a direct answer from
her on any subject at all. Even the simple "yes or no" question as to
whether she's a ranger or not produced a non-direct and ambiguous
answer.  For example - I asked her:
> Now a question - if you are not and never have been a ranger, by what
> knowledge or authority do you "reassure" anyone about the actions or
> intent of "rangers"?  And how would you know anything about the
> "communications" either within or between the different agencies?

I have yet to see an answer to what are patently legitimate questions.  
If either she or you view those questions as an attack, then the problem
is yours - not mine.  

I gather that thruhiking does NOT fit your philosophy.  That's tough. If
you can't ignore what you don't like, then maybe you do belong on
another list. That's your decision - not mine. But I won't sugar-coat
what thruhiking is or what it's about, nor will I accept snide remarks,
put-down humor, stupidity, inaccuracies, or nonsense by those who assume
knowledge that they don't have about something they haven't done.  

If, on the other hand, you'd like to talk about thruhiking and
"enlightenment" - that's an entirely new subject and I'll be happy to do
so.  Your introduction of the subject could lead to some good
discussion.  But keep in mind that I strongly suspect that I read the
Tao Te Ching before you were born and I've travelled a long and very
instructive road since then. The Tao Te Ching contains as much nonsense
and is just as subject to misinterpretation as any other book of
wisdom.  
Finally, you said: 
> But ThruHiking is not everyone's highest path.  

Thank God - you got something right.  

Walk softly,
Jim
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

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