A minute or more

Over the last few months I've been working through a painful and reasonably debilitating medical situation that has interrupted my life rather profoundly from a physical and emotional perspective. I'll admit it's knocked me down a time or two, but I throat punched it back also, showed it who's the boss, and and the situation is moving forward rather nicely. With this in mind I felt it was time to take a hike.

I've been walking a lot however avoided the more strenuous hikes I love the most...until Saturday. I woke up early and decided to issue another throat punch to the situation by heading over the road from my house and hiking up and down the mountain conservation reserve found there and which you can see pictured.

For the initial stages I was chatting on the phone which highlighted the fact my fitness-level has declined - I began to breathe a little heavier on the way up - however soon ended that call and simply hiked...for three hours.

I allowed the moment to settle upon me; I was hiking and in a place within nature that brings me deep satisfaction. I feel...uncaged in these places. Alone but not lonely. I feel...wealthy.

My hike on Saturday was a much needed moment, a powerful emotional triumph, and initial victory that will lead to more of the same.

It's been a minute or more since I've been able to accomplish such hikes and it's incredibly motivating to have ticked off three hours of hiking. This, aside from the obvious benefit I gain from being in natural places, made Saturday remarkable; but not as remarkable as my next hike, or the next after that and so on.

I want to leave you with a quote someone once sent me...It's not about nature, but it could be. I like it very much, hence its inclusion in my post today.