April 27, 1997 (Day 39 – milepoint 411.2 – Watauga Lake Shelter)
Highlight of the day – A spontaneous hitch into Hampton, TN with Easy Chair and Guggenheimer for a few extra snacks before the big push to Damascus, VA. No problem getting a ride to the Texaco Food Mart, which, to our pleasant surprise, also had a Subway! The women working there watched wide-eyed as we feasted on subs, ice cream, chips, cookies, and beef jerky.
We grabbed another sub each for the road and within minutes a red pick-up welcomed us into the rear cab. A rescue-squad volunteer, his wife and little girl took us out of their way to get us back to the trail. With very full bellies, we were very happy that the shelter was only 1.5 miles from the road.
I never thought I would classify 16 miles as an easy day, but after yesterday’s horrendous 22, today was a breeze.
Still, no matter what the mileage, each day seems like three. So much to see. So many thoughts providing great internal entertainment. Sure beats a television.
Aquaholic
April 27, 2009
Hey Aquaholic,
I feel like I need to start digging a little deeper into some issues. Unconsciously, I’ve been protecting you a bit from the accumulative reality of what I have created in my life, essentially by trying to balance the negative with a bunch of positive so as not to be a drag.
Perhaps I’ve been protecting myself a bit, too. One of the scary things about this blog is that it is open to the public and very personal. Are my circumstances and feelings much different than what many other people are dealing with in this day and age? Perhaps not. Do they reveal things about my character that make me uncomfortable knowing that certain people will read this thing? Most certainly. Yesterday I talked about depression – am I putting potential job opportunities at risk by exposing myself like this? It is very possible.
I need to accept that I will be judged through this. Hell, I’m judging myself. But perhaps that is healthy and functional to a point. Perhaps it is even necessary.
You are my trusted audience. I serve you so that you may serve me. The magic and the meat reside in the truth of the journey. That is what you deserve.
O’
