My muscles strain as I force myself over another large boulder. I grasp the root ahead of me for balance. I can feel my legs burning, my lungs on fire. Still I push on, eyes fixed in front of me. Only the sound of my own harsh breathing reaches my ears.
My old record is taunting me, laughing at each pained step I take. I nearly growl as I urge myself to go faster. I can rest when I reach the top.
Five minutes and I’ll be there.
I manage to pass a fellow hiker. Then someone passes me. I can see the light between the trees, a beacon of accomplishment. Almost there.
One more minute. One last turn.
I see a man standing at the side of the trail, stance relaxed, waiting, perhaps stopping to catch his breath.
“Don’t stop now!” I pant, encouraging. “the top is right there!”
He glances at me and smiles. “why rush,” He replies. “It is good to just be here.” A thick Italian accent lilts his words.
My steps falter, and my eyes stray sideways. Vivid greens and browns greet my eyes, and the freshness of the mountain air pervades my nose.
—
Don’t we sometimes get so caught up in what we’re doing that we forget the beauty around us? Competition and goals are important, but so is enjoying yourself. To try and find joy in whatever you are doing.
What a beautiful photograph! I think that I am the slowest hiker in the world, but I don’t mind at all. It just gives me more time to notice and enjoy all the beautiful scenes that I came out to experience in the first place.!
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Thanks! Yeah I’m definitely slower than most of my friends, but it’s such an enjoyable journey up the mountain that I don’t mind taking my time :D.
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Wonderful. However, I employed split image reading; a tortoise taking a hike – I wonder what that’s like, for tortoise!
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Something my wife and I learned in hiking. Take a few steps, then look around. See how much nature’s image has changed in those paces… and what we might have missed. Many thanx for visiting my blog. Peace.
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Sounds like a great way to enjoy nature! Thanks for commenting!
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