The Tough Part...

The tough part was getting to the trailhead.

It snowed 32" last Sunday in the Smokey Mountains National Park. Three things happen to coincide: (1) I've been walking there since college, but never in deep, virgin snow, (2) the daytime air temperatures were reasonable... above freezing down on the ground, much above zero on top, and (3) it was the start of the Christmas holidays.

I checked to see if anyone would be interested in hiking with me and drew zero... all buddies are in committed relationships and had to be home for the holidays, where I did not. So, I Goggled and contacted a guide service, discussed plans, and drove to the Gatlinburg area. All roads in to the park were closed. Had to wait two days in a motel until the park service opened the main road to the trailheads on 441 (Cherokee Orchard road remained closed).

Even with a guide, we had little hope to make it in deep snow to the top of Mt LeConte... we started hiking up the A.T. in Newfoundland Gap, a familiar trail, and, sure enough, it was a lot of work walking in that knee-deep virgin snow. In 2 1/2 hours we got 1 1/2 mile in, which meant that the 10-mile Boulevard route was going to take at least a 16-hour day and night. We gave up, bagged a trophy sign, had lunch at a crossroad with a terrific view, enjoyed the gorgeous day, had fun trampling in the snow some more, and got back. Another terrific little adventure.

The tough part was getting started. As always. About everything.


- © 2009 by Willy

High and Mighty versus...

Tiger Woods is the latest casualty in a never-ending list of The Fallen.

Here he is, the best at his field, a Billionaire, married to a swimsuit model... the perfect man everybody aspires for... and he gets taken out by what appears to be ego. Money and power goes to their heads. It's called temptation. The devil exists.

The funny thing is that it also happens to a lesser extent to the average guy. I'm sure Tiger Woods gets a million temptations for every one of mine. If you go by percentages, he was bound to fall.

I'm not the best in my field, although I'm very good. I'm not a billionaire, although I do well, I do not know any swimsuits models, although I did score a trophy wife once (or she me) when I was a socially awkward young man. I do understand the lift to the ego that leads to succumbing to temptation, but neither the temptations nor the trophy wife were worth the trouble.

No, I don't know if I'm getting hit by angel or devil, so I play it conservative. My solution has been to limit my exposure and thus minimize temptation. T. Boone Pickens, the oilman, says that the higher a monkey climbs a tree, the more people can see his ass. So I stay in the brush below, doing my thing... I'm pretty high up at work but refuse further promotion, so I get an awful lot done. Every now and then a lady smiles at me... I must remind her of her grandfather... and I ignore it. The love word comes up occasionally and I respond that I love her like a sister. I watch out for games and my favorite word is no. I don't look for "it," I apologize if the wrong impression is taken, and I bolt. And a dear old lady runs my favorite hangout, so I do not flirt with waitresses... it would be like flirting with my mother.

It may seem like a lot of work to constantly monitor and be aware of what I'm doing... to stay in stealth mode... but it's nothing compared to the loss resulting in a fall from grace. God exists too.


- text © 2009 by Willy

Co-Co-dependents

Tomorrow night I'll be attending my co-dependent group's Christmas party. A very interesting and terrific set of people with the same problem... and thus much in common with me. I normally avoid parties, but I look forward to seeing John, Chad and the rest of the entertainers.


They say a pessimist sees a glass half-empty, an optimist half-full, but the kind and giving person... a co-dependent... looks for someone who might be thirsty. My challenge has been to properly channel this character feature, and my support group has helped me do this. I constantly ask myself "And whose need is that?" and remind myself to "Detach." Life has been easier lately, although it had been both heartbreaking and wonderful. Some days I fought for my life, just like everyone else, but I've lived it fully.


- © 2009 by Willy

P.S., the codependent crossed the road to help the chicken make a decision, so watch 'em cars if you're one of us.

Best Things in Life

The best things in life are not things.

I got up early this morning to go hike my favorite trail in fresh snow. It was enough snow to make it pretty but not enough to make streets difficult. Two fat tires and two wafflestompers beat me to the trailhead, but secondary trails were virgin snow. I enjoyed the crisp air and the solitude, I wrote my name in yellow on snow, and I resolved to hike and bike more often... no matter the circumstances.

What a beautiful way to pass the morning.


- © 2009 by Willy