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

["Robinson, Brian A" <brian.robinson@compaq.com>]

This is a reply to the general reaction the quoted post has generated.  I
don't wish to single out anyone's reaction.

First, I don't feel this post was meant to attack thru-hikers.  It's a
personal claim to have achieved similar (or greater) enlightenment to that
achieved by thru-hikers.

As a member of the PCT class of '97, I perceive in the message a tone of
defensiveness from a non-member.  I purposely use the term "member" to make
this point.  Some of us on the list who have completed an end-to-end,
continuous thruhike are a bit of a clique, in the negative sense of the
term.  I accuse no-one, but I plead guilty that on occassion I have said
things on this list that could be construed as:  "I suffered for my goal.
Applaud me!"   So I don't find it unreasonable that some perceive themselves
as "outsiders" on this list.

At the risk of diminishing my point, I must say that our "club" may be
joined by anyone who wishes and is able.  We don't exclude anyone.  Also,
cliques are a common part of human society.  We all "belong" to some groups,
and not to others.  So I don't feel there's anything wrong with the "PCT
family" concept.

But remember, there are people whose dreams have not been realized.  That
pain may make them react negatively to our "family" posts.  I hope the
family can react with the enlightenment we claim to have achieved.

Peace,
Brian

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jeff Thompson [SMTP:sierra141@hotmail.com]
> Sent:	Sunday, January 31, 1999 4:27 PM
> To:	pct-l@backcountry.net
> Subject:	Re: [pct-l] Re: Room 4 everybody
> 
> Mary wrote:
> >Just thinking -
> >Seems like many spiritual leaders were great long distance hikers:
> >Jesus, Gandhi, King
> >Coincidence?
> 
> Let me include John Muir.
> 
> But first, may I comment on the common implication that ThruHikers
> are special and even enlightened.  Compared to the masses, who don't
> let go of the trappings of civilized comfort, and goals of career and
> acquisition, etc., I agree that ThruHiker goals are potentially 
> relatively liberating.  
> 
> But ThruHiking is not everyone's highest path.  I follow this list 
> for ThruHiker insights into backpacking and gear.  I question the 
> attitude of some ThruHikers, however, towards us non-ThruHikers.
> 
> When I was a teenager, I dreamed of a PCT ThruHike.  For me, that is
> something I am now beyond.  For me, it was a dream which came from 
> the need to prove something (to myself and others).  I'm not only not 
> attached to the trappings and goals of society, I've also let go of 
> my need to achieve the goal of 2600 officially designated miles.  
> 
> I don't mean ThruHiking is wrong, but it would be for me.  A ThruHike 
> would pass too fast through country that is not all my choice, 
> simply because it is designated.  The High Country means a lot to me, 
> to just "be" there, so I'll be moving slow, taking 6 weeks with lots 
> of layover days to explore, peakbag and even just watch the clouds 
> roll by, this summer from near Whitney to maybe VVR (more or less).
> 
> Which brings me to John Muir, unquestionably in touch with
> spirituality and nature.  When 29, after regaining his sight from a 
> blinding eye injury, he left home and walked a thousand miles from 
> Indianapolis to the Gulf of Mexico.  Later he chose, as I have, to 
> savor and know the Sierra.  Does not ThruHiking mean he got less 
> enlightened?  Would a former ThruHiker be admired, or considered 
> "fallen", at a Gathering?
> 
> For me, a record-setting 5-day JMT has no appeal.  I may as well do 
> the JMT at the speed of light, with .001 seconds to savor it.  The 
> delicate beauty of the ancient forms of plant life in the high 
> country in particular transport me to ancient times, millions of 
> years ago, before anyone had ever walked there.  The timeless, 
> idyllic, sublime magic above timberline calls me.
> 
> Certainly hiking can bring growth.  I cherish it as a meditative
> experience.  Hiking, let alone ThruHiking, is just one way to grow,
> however.  I've noted the "boredom" thread, which reminds me of the
> typical rec.backcountry thread on solo travel, that some can't stand
> to be alone with their thoughts.  I point to the yogis who spend a
> lifetime meditating in a mountain cave to suggest that the need for
> entertainment is not necessarily a mark of enlightenment.  They find 
> peace in quiet.
> 
> I don't mean that what is right for me is right for ThruHikers, any 
> more than what is right for them is right for me.  My point is that 
> illumination is different for everyone.  
> 
> The superior attitude of some ThruHikers is not warranted.  For some, 
> a 2600-mile goal would *deny* liberation.  Some ThruHikers might 
> think I'm missing something, and some might wonder if some of them 
> are missing something.  But we shouldn't judge, we should all hike 
> our own paths.  In fact, someone who claims enlightenment faces "He 
> who knows does not speak, he who speaks does not know" (from my 
> Shambala pocket Tao Teh Ching).
> 
> Remember the old one about what the Dali Lama said to the hot dog
> vendor, "Make me one with everything"?  If one ThruHikes for the
> goal, this "conquering" is inherently dualistic; it is impossible to 
> be one with something at the same time one conquers it.  *You* may 
> not be ThruHiking for the goal; on the other hand, you just may not 
> yet know that you are.
> 
> 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."
> 
> Peace,
> Jeff
> 
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