Climbing Mountains...

Thought and Poem – December 29, 2014

I am one of those types of people that never get enough exercise. I spend most of my day sitting at my computer, or on my iPhone…writing, texting, reading posts sent to me by others on Facebook, or writing a little something more in the draft of the third book of my novel series.

It doesn’t require hardly any energy to type with the little keys on the iPhone or the keyboard to my computer. Once in a while, I might have to shift my body some to get comfy again after hours of sitting at my desk. Here, only my brain gets a workout!

I do try to steal a little time to do something around the house, whether doing some cooking or cleaning, I like to be able to stretch for a bit and get the blood flowing in my legs again. Exercise is very important to maintain a healthy mind and body.

With this being said, once when my children were younger we decided to take a family hike up a mountain trail at a local park to get an aerial view of our valley from the top. I don’t know whose idea it was that we do this but nevertheless, I packed a nice picnic lunch for us and plenty of water and snacks in case we got lost.

As we stood at the map examining the different trails we could take I chose the one that looked to be the shortest in distance from the bottom to the top. The Park Ranger happened to be nearby and saw us standing at the entrance of the trail we picked out and he politely came over and suggested that we take a much easier trail as he could tell that we were not your average looking hikers. My husband and I were totally out of shape and we were loaded down like “pack mules” carrying supplies.

Well, you know how it is when someone tells you they don’t think what you are about to do is a good idea…YOU TRY TO PROVE THEM WRONG! And so we opted to take the trail I had suggested from the beginning. After all, it was only supposed to take one and a half hours to climb to the top and it had a picnic table that we could eat our lunch on when we got there.

We did get to the top….two and a half hours later….ate our lunch on the ground because someone decided to use the wood from the picnic table in a campfire, and there were no buildings with indoor plumbing! Still we managed to eat our lunch and the entire supply of snacks and drank all the water because I was NOT carrying anything down the mountain trail on our way back.

By the time we got back to our starting point seven hours later, I had a bruised ankle caused by the angle of my feet in the boot as they tried to keep me from falling down when descending from the top on a trail that was almost straight up and down. I looked like I had been trampled on by a herd of wild horses. I was tired, shaky and needed a shower. And I had one of those looks on my face where the family knew NEVER to mention this hiking experience again. But…I did get some of that exercise I needed. HIGH FIVE!

What about you? Have you ever had the desire to see life from the top of the mountain and if you did, was the view all it was said to be like? Share your thoughts with us…Jeanne Claire Probst

Climbing Mountains?

Climbing mountains can seem hard at times,

But you can still get there one step at a time.

Know your limitations and work with what you have,

Don’t add weight on your shoulders or on your hips wear saddle bags.

Each mountain has a different type of terrain,

And you can learn much when studying the trails and this will help avoid pain.

Because you will choose the path that is right for you,

That before you start up the hill you won’t be doomed.

A winner sets his stride at an even pace,

Keeps the goal of staying in the race and keeps winning before his face.

Taking the time to rest and have a snack along the way,

Will help to balance your needs and will help you on the road to stay.

Don’t look back and wish you could pick a better way,

As starting all over is time wasted away.

Keep your eyes forward and be intent on getting to the top,

But you won’t get there if you give up and stop.

Make it a goal to accomplish your wish,

And enjoy the beauty of all that is around you on your trip.

Look for the colors and smells that help you learn as you go,

And before you know it you will be at the top and you would have accomplished your goal.

Life can be like climbing a mountain at times.

Steep hills and paths that seem to getter harder to tread as you continue to climb.

But set your goals with your limitations in mind,

And you will get there at your pace and much joy you will find.

Jeanne Claire Probst