Teacher & Snacktime

What seems to be a common affliction to those anticipating their hikes is the crippling inability to make the calendar move faster. There's only so much repacking the pack, reweighing the weight and replanning the plan that can be done before the big event. After a while, these repetitions just compound the problem; second-guessing becomes rampant and insecurities and doubts dance like holiday sugarplums through our eager, sleep-deprived minds.

How does one cope? One way is to check out the journals and forums and commisserate with others in the same adventure-restrained emotional frustration. The other day I latched onto a forum post by yellobelle titled Advice: re hosting hikers, and read through the contributions and opinions until one hit home. It has (for the time being) swept away my anticipatory woes.

AT Trail Magic's suggestion of participating among the ranks of Trail Angels and handing out goodie bags (ala Halloween or birthday parties) at a road-crossing, trailhead or along the trail itself while hiking, has provided me with a new and wonderful direction for some of our pent-up AT energy. "Paying it forward" will be the theme for Snacktime and myself for the next 4 weeks!

A couple of yards of nylon fabric along with some cord and fabric paint in the hands of a pair who know their way around a sewing machine can result in some wonderfully personalized snack-size stuff sacks, while whiling away many AT-planning-dedicated curriculum hours. The imagination and effort involved in estimating what little goodies would be most appreciated places one mentally in the hike, in the shoes, minds and stomachs of the hikers (this last especially, as it is the young man's own priority). Anticipation turns to empathy; thoughts turn from one's own frustration to the wants and needs of others. Here the greatest "magic" occurs in learning to enjoy generosity toward others.

I can't thank AT Trail Magic enough for this wonderful idea and inspiration, and yellobelle for having initiated the thread. We promise to make good use of your ideas, and I suspect that immersing ourselves in this endeavor will help set that sluggish calendar in motion!