[pct-l] Thoughts about the whole donation thing from a prospective 2013 hiker

Amy nakedmittens at gmail.com
Mon Sep 24 13:58:51 CDT 2012


Hi!

 

ASIDE from whether or not to donate, or to expect donations, and the merits
of such, and in regard to the Foie Gras post and others, I think it's
excessive to empathize  to the point of almost feeling sorry for the Trail
Angels that can't afford to be Trail Angels! That almost makes it sound like
people are asking for donations to be trail angels. “ I want to be a trail
angel, but it’s too expensive!” If they can't afford it without donations,
they probably shouldn't be doing it. They can be involved in many other
ways, or try to help people one on one, instead of taking on a whole gaggle
of hungry/tired/needy hikers.  Right? 

 

Unless “Trail Angels” is on its way to becoming a non-profit charity
organization? Not that there’s anything wrong with that! (ßSeinfeld. Yeah. I
went there.) Might even be a good idea. But for now, it’s odd to think that
giving money because someone helped you isn’t good enough; it has to also be
because the economy is bad and times are tough and all kinds of other
reasons that seem to obscure the original (original as I see it)idea.
Because if you are in favor of donating, you would donate when times are
good and the economy is rocking, too, right? Because you donate to say
thanks, right?( So, this thought is an ‘aside’ and has nothing to do with
the fact that people who decide to help other people out on the trail for
whatever reason they decide to do so are totally, totally awesome, and it
will be really neat to come across a few.)

 

So. On to the anxiety this conversation has wrought!

 

 I can't picture myself taking a cookie and not giving something if there is
a big ol' donation jar staring at me, so I may have to pass on the goody
stands (or whatever you may call them) and impromptu spaghetti dinners, in
order to not feel the sting of my own personal notion of guilt.

 

And, I do feel even more nervous than before about things like hitchhiking
or asking favors. What if I need a ride, but don't have money to donate? I
understand the nice folks are saying donations aren't expected, but still.
My own personal moral compass says that if there is a jar there, a donation
is expected, and I feel anxious about the prospect of being in a situation
where I need help, but can't pay. 

 

The concept of 'Trail Angels' or just helping people out was a lot more
clear-cut to me before this forum.

I pictured donating to any established "Trail Angel" homes I stayed at,
offering monetary recompense when I could to anyone I needed to ask for
help, and, if I was lucky, I might experience this trail magic thing, where
things like a day hiker shows up right when I am lost to give me directions,
or some people at a trailhead have an extra can of Pepsi, or there is a is a
random cooler right there-right on the trail!-no other people, just a cooler
of stuff, right when I was needing a granola bar to get me through (I saw
this once and I didn't partake because I was only backpacking, but I was SO
amazed by it, and it gave me a goofy smile for the next couple of hours. I
had heard of people doing this, I had never seen it. Wow. You people that do
things like that are really thoughtful), and last but not least, hopefully a
fellow hiker would appear every time I needed to hitch, so I wouldn't have
to hitch alone. Trail magic.

 

Yogi says in her book, "If you can afford to do the PCT, you can afford to
leave a donation." (paraphrase) I was and am all for that, but I didn't
realize just how often and how many situations I would need to "donate". And
that's fine. I think. It could just be that Trail Magic and Trail Angels are
two different things (some of you are like, duh.), each with their own set
of rules, and those things that differentiate the two will become apparent
once I am on the trail. And I won’t have anything to feel anxious about. You
know, besides all that other stuff to feel anxious about.

 

Sorry to anyone ahead of time that I may have to ask for help, and not be
able to pay. Know that I will help someone else the same way you have helped
me.

 

-Amy (who wrote “donate” too many freaking times. Want to donate a
Thesaurus, anyone?)

AND: To the PCT guy a few years ago that gave me a sewing kit to patch up my
pants so my buns had proper coverage: THANK YOU! Thank You! THANK YOU!

(Although.......maybe he wasn't doing me the favor, but rather everyone else
on the trail. Hmmm.........)

 




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