Date: 2004-08-08
From: Dalton, Mass.

To: Cheshire, Mass.
Miles today: 9.3

Start Dalton, Mass. Destination Cheshire, Mass. I guess I kind of knew that Trish would be going home today instead of hiking out with me. The first clue was when she didn't hang her tent out to get it dry. She spent the early part of the morning agonizing over whether to go home or continue hiking. All the time I was snoring away, oblivious to her turmoil. Sometimes the easiest decisions can also be the hardest. I told some one last year that "Any decision we make that is not made in our best interest is a bad decision.¢ That sounds pretty narcissist at first, but upon deeper thought it really isn't. Our decisions need to always be in our best interest, for only then can we begin to look outside of ourselves to see the needs of others. A healthy person can do plenty more than an unhealthy person. I could not help Trish with this one. She knows herself, what she can or can't do, whether she has more in her or not. I was plenty disappointed to have her go home, but this is about her, not about me. I loved having her hike with me. We laughed and cut up and had some good times. But good times can't climb the mountains; they can't put the strength in the body that is needed from day to day. It takes a lot of guts to acknowledge you have stepped out and gotten in over your head. So amidst the tears and the disappointments, she called her husband to come pick her up. Of course, she first wanted to make sure I wasn't going to hate her! It is seldom that I am in town on a Sunday, and I wanted to take advantage of today and attend church somewhere. I got cleaned up, put on my finest hiking clothes and walked several blocks to Berkshire First Church of the Nazarene. I had not been in a Nazarene church in 40 years, but I did remember that they liked to sing. Oh, man how wonderful and filling it was to sing praise and worship songs, to lift my hands in worship to my heavenly Father. Hikers Father Ounce and Samson came in late and joined me. The sermon was exactly what I needed to hear. How God wants us to be faithful in the little things and just because nothing big is going on in our lives, does not mean he is not working or we are not growing. Sometimes I long to do great and mighty things for the Lord, but for the most part, I am usually reduced to doing what I call unimportant mundane things for his kingdom. That is the meaning that I put on the things I try to do for Him, but He puts a whole different meaning on those things, because He looks at my heart, at my intent. The things I do warrant not one word to anyone. There is no praise or glory brought to me. I do not delight in telling some one,"Hey, I went all day long today without a bad thought, or resentful feeling." But then again it is the little things that cause me grief, not the mountains, but the molehills. You see ,I KNOW I cannot climb the mountains in my life alone, I need God's help and guidance, but sometimes I get to thinking that these little problems, these little molehills in my life, well I can handle them on my own just fine. I don't need to bother God with them. That is so far from the truth, so far from what He wants me to do. I am fooling myself to think that I can handle anything without him. I can't even draw a breath without his divine help. In Him I move and live and have my being. By the time I got back to the motel, Jim was there to pick up Trish. He brought her a bouqhet of flowers and for me, chocolate chip cookies and two pieces of fudge! We ate lunch together, then hugs and goodbyes. They drove away and I hoisted my pack and started north through town, until finally the trail turned back into the woods. I was thankful that the remainder of the day was gorgeous. The terrain was small hills that put me higher and higher in elevation. The woods were dry and there was a wonderful breeze blowing. Had it been rainy and dreary, damp and dark it would have been easy to foster a sullen attitude. My disappointment and initial loneliness was hard to hang onto in such a beautiful surrounding.   My first break found me just outside of the campsite I had originally planned to stay at. I sat and ate one of the cookies, and drank a liter of water. It was almost too cool once I quit hiking. It was too early for me to stop, so I hiked on. Four hours later, I hike into Cheshire, Mass. and come to an Ice Cream Stand. I had the most divine banana split I have had in years. Forget supper. Life really is short, so eat dessert first. Of course I kept thinking how much Trish loves ice cream and wished she was here with me to enjoy this treat! But you know, the time we had, was the time we had. I wished it could have been more, but it wasn't. I will see her in two weeks as she is my ride to the airport when I fly to Colorado to see my sweet husband. She has graciously offered to let me stay overnight with her to clean up and get presentable before my flight.    I hike to the St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church where there is a hostel for hikers in their fellowship hall. One other hiker is here, a north bounder named Southern Man. We sit outside and talk; I give him the chocolate pudding I had carried to share with Trish tonight. I fixed some macaroni and cheese for supper and watch the clouds roll across the sky, their edges outlined in silver by the setting sun. I have a classroom all to myself tonight. My bedroll is rolled out and once again it feels good to be back on the trail.Total miles 9.3