When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
It occurs to me this morning that I may be going about things all wrong. In the past month I have declined invitations to go to Thailand, India, and Mexico from various close friends and loved ones, and for what?
As a man of 36, a few breaths away from 37, I am still as loosely tethered to God and Country as I was at 26, or 27. No kids. No mortgage. I could join the French Foreign Legion if I wanted and all I would have to do is find someone to take my cat.
I won't go into my rewarding work, and all that it means to me (seriously) but a person can serve humankind in many ways.
What's to fear?
I could just walk out the door and keep on going, because one day there will be no more green fields.
And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question
Ever feel like taking a hike?
Juancho
17 comments:
Here's to marching slowly, all bent, stiff and sore.
Hey, I hear the local trails are pretty exotic this time of year.
....And the band played Waltzing Matilda...
I did some heavy traveling in the 80's. Europe, Turkey, Japan, Phillippines. I was going through some skin shedding. I wouldn't take back a single step of that journey, but I found that geography was not a cure. I got some good waves, drank snake sake' got some bizzare pictures and a well stamped passport.....still can't spell worth a shit. I know one thing you don't want to be on the porch asking "What if?".
Pack Light.
w.b.
what what WHAT? Go on the freaking vacations! That's what life is for! Sometimes I get upset that I don't have more money for STUFF because i spend it all on vacation, but that's really what's important in life. Travel and growth. Learn to love new places.
I guess the real question is...What are you marching for?
All I'm saying is, if you got a problem and are in a quandry, as our dear Juanc seems ta be. Maybe ye should plant yer phookin feet, look in the mirror and ask the phooker lookin back what his phookin problem is!
But if your heart is light, and the time is right. Pack yer kit and git!
W.B.
OK then. Send donations to
Juancho/general delivery
Everywhere
Wasn't the question to us, dear readers as we are, whether we ever felt like taking a hike?
Why the deluge of advice/slight moral gesturing pointed toward Juancho, I have to wonder?
Hot damn a hike. Don't mind if I do.
you're win win juanc
you've sewn some oats and can sew more if the moment strikes 'cause your tether is light.
meanwhile, you're hanging at your life's home base with a cool gig that pays cool beans that seems to have much flexibility with allow ample opp for oak mtn, cheaha, santos, etc.
the fact that you could leave such a sitch on a whim should not blind your appreciation of how nicely you’ve positioned yourself.
but also know that if/when you do get SK and probably M (Spouse Kids Mortgage) that you will not want for those oats that blow outside your window, for SK makes a whole new pitcher of juice.
Do you feel like you're *supposed* to travel abroad? Or do you actually want to?
Sometimes I feel like I'm supposed to because so many other people do. I do love travelling abroad, but there's also plenty of times when I enjoy being at home and maybe taking smaller road trips.
And once I went to 99cent Ranch Market to buy a variety of asian foods to "pretend" I was travelling because I didn't have any money. It was fun until I drank a can of something that had chunks in it. Turned out it was tapioca, but I didn't know that since I couldn't read the label on the can. That felt like an "authentic" travel experience and it only cost a dollar.
If ya do go, go somewhere that when you tell people they get worried for your safety. A couple years ago I got itchy and went to El Salvador. Any punk can go to Costa Rica. Cheap beer, guys at the next table with automatic rifles....whaddaya want? I was pretty stoked to get home too, sign of a good trip. Thats what I did on my last hike. Lately I have been thinking of the hut to hut. It fits all bills.
Hope this helps.
W.B.
well, at least U know what to ask if you want a bunch of advice.
uh..too bad that guy with the SKM, got his pitcher of cool-aid.
I have SKKMJ but I still gotta hike.
ReaDING A blog will never be hiking, though. or will it??
Wow, y'all are some of the smartest invisible friends ever.
Someday when I grow up and do some real hiking maybe I'll understand W.B.'s hut-to-hut reference. I've got a vague idea of what that means, but it must be wrong because my idea wouldn't fit all bills.
Unless, of course, he's talking about hiking from one Pizza Hut to another, different Pizza Hut. That would fit all bills (fresh air, tasty pizza, servant variety), especially if the two Huts were kind of close together.
Maybe not you so much S'quatch.
mmm, pizza does sound good though.
The hut to hut is a ride from Telluride or Durrango to Moab. You go from one forest ranger hut to the next. I think it's two hundred miles in five days, lots of climbing, but theres no pizza or waitresses.....maybe its not a good idea after all.
W.B.
Oh sure, that sounds lovely.
All those huts and all that suffering-awesome!
I think I'm working in S. Korea for year come July or so. Great rides. I'll need pads. (http://www.angelfire.com/ga/achamtb/new_photos.html) Wanna cat?
Jim
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