Date: 2006-05-20
To: Prep #25-How We Define Value
Miles today: 0.0

Not that this topic is anything new in my mind (I've been studying social justice education for the past year w/an emphasis on gender/women's studies). But...I was reading and responding to some forums this weekend. One person is torn about how to make the time to thru-hike the AT. He's getting a lot of people telling him that it will happen once you make it the priority. I couldn't agree more.However, this person is married w/two kids. Now, he's got a lot of people saying that it's irresponsible to leave the family/kids for 5-6 months to do this etc., etc. My thought was...really, is it irresponsible? Why is it OK then, for a parent/partner/spouse to be gone for days & weeks at a time traveling on "business trips"? Why is it OK for a military person to be deployed for years at a time while "serving their country"? Why is OK for truck drivers or airline personnel to be gone for weeks at a time while "working"? So, why is it selfish or irresponsible for a person to spend 5-6 months just hiking? Here's why....the action does not result in the accumulation or payment of money. If this man got paid to do this, well then...he'd be acting as a responsible provider for his family.So, what makes something valuable in our culture? When is it deemed "worth" something? Unfortunately, the answer is when it holds monitery value, can be sold/bought/exchanged on the market, or results in the accumulation of material goods. What a load of CRAP!!!!!We may not be able to package the intangible benefits/rewards received from such an experience as hiking the AT, but does that make it NOT hold a real value? Imagine how the human race might change if every single one of us took 6 months to do nothing but the basics: walk, think, eat, sleep, reflect. Imagine the things we'd have the TIME to think about. What if (my favorite game again) this man went on his hike. What if during it, he had the time to deeply feel/experience the love he has for his wife and children (w/out worrying about making it to baseball practice, dinner parties, and the grocery store)? What if this resulted in the realization that each day must be filled w/an effort to never take them for granted again, never let 1 day go by w/out saying "I Love You."My "What If" scenario is a complete fabrication...he has not spoken of any of this. However, I believe that each of us and the people we share our lives with could deeply benefit from some serious alone time. I've been separated from my family for years at a time. I know what it's like. It changed me in ways nothing else could. So really? Is he being irresponsible for wanting to do this? Sadly, if his experience qualified as a tax write-off...he'd probably be told he's being irresponsible for NOT doing it! God...what a mess we've created.This is why we must always ask oursevles one question when considering the reason for doing or not doing anything in life:"Whose interests are served by this way of thinking?" Meaning, where did these ideas come from and why, and who is being represented by supporting these ideas? Isn't it time we start valuing more than big houses, fancy cars, corporate jobs, and a diversified portfolio?