[pct-l] the obligations of a lifestyle

[Ken Powers]

Why do you feel we need to justify our avocation? Do golfers morally justify 
their addition?

You sort out the obligation stuff. I'm going for a walk.  ;)

Ken
...GottaWalk

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brett" <blisterfree at yahoo.com>
To: "Pacific Crest Trail" <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 6:03 PM
Subject: [pct-l] the obligations of a lifestyle


When your life revolves around long-distance hiking, and the
main portion of your day finds you walking... or dreaming
about walking, or planning for a long walk, or promoting
your own trail experiences via website, trail journal, pod
cast, speaking engagement, or similar...

What does it mean to claim - out loud or in a quiet place -
that your significant contribution to the greater good is
one of inspiring others by example?

Is this ample moral justification for the self-focused,
personally meaningful, and ultimately addictive thru-hiker
lifestyle? Does the "morals" question even mean anything at
all until one begins to assume a public role through
self-promotion?

As - let's assume - long-distance hikers in the public eye,
can we get away accepting the adolation that we've sought
for our addiction without the benefit of also humbling
ourselves in a tangible, self-effacing way?

Are we morally obligated to seek the role of humanist and
environmentalist as well?

Or can we, with much relief, just keep walking and checking
the hit counter on our trail journal site, confident that a
bright and beautiful world will follow?

- blisterfree


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