Date: 2004-05-06
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Got up at 530. TreeFrog joined me in sneaking a breakfast. I got out by seven. Told TreeFrog I'd see him at Trimpi. The plan for today was the 14 miles as two miles per hour. Just to see if I could do it. And I did. The terrain for this stretch was pleasant. Big rolling hills, green little plants, pretty colourful flowers, bouncing deer. It's been interesting. The purpose of walking from Springer north is to follow spring up the seaboard. But the weather seems to have this effect, spring came to Georgia, then it got cold, spring came to Tennessee and the carolina, then the snow shut down spring. Here in Virginia, it looks like spring is just starting. The cooler weather this season apparently is prolonging spring. Which is okay with me. I enjoy the flowers. Now that I have the flower book, I find myself wanting a tree book. BUt weight is an issue. I already have a book I'm reading, a daily inspiration book, and now a flower book. Gotta stop this library collection. I'm attempting to reconcile with myself some of the characters on the trail. Out here the quote is "Hike your own hike". It's interesting to realize and recognize how sometime I let other people's agenda insinuate themselves into "my hike" Krispy is buildinga small entourage that follows him. I caught his fever the other day and caught myself. I like Krispy, and there is a part of me that wants to be part of a group.But I also recognize the limitations of my own body. Although the knees are doing better, and the hip is becoming stronger or my pain tolerance higher. I know I want to stay on the trail, I have to realy listen to what the body is saying. I also know I have to listen and acknowledge that High milage isn't on my agenda at the moment. I'm out here to listen for my own drummer. I realize and recognize some of my own fantasies. But I can also see that they are just that, fanatsies. It's fascinating to look at the illusions I harbor. The feeling of the need to "fit in" is one that I have always struggled with. We all want to be liked and belong. But to what group do I want to belong to? There is the high milage people. There is the party group.   There is the groupie group.The group I seem to fit into is the loner group. We float from group to group. Socialize at the stopping places. Move on. Throught it all, it gives me an opportunity to meet and socialize with different people from different persuasions. There are people I recognize that I don't want to be with. There are people I feel I'd like to spend time with. There are people who want to spent time with me that I'd wish would go away. There are people I wonder how the heck they got this far on the trail.   There are foreigners from other countries, learning to listen their accents. Listening to their perceptions of the U.S. The numbers of characters out here is a compressed version of the world. Fascinating and wonderous. It's an interesting challenge for my pateince and toleance of all kinds. It's an interesting observation of my own attitudes toward different people.   It's and inner exploration to discern my own little drummer. Namaste'\