04/26/2018
Imagine you are getting ready for a trip. Then imagine getting ready for that same trip knowing you will need to carry everything you need with you. Add to that the realization space is extremely limited and every extra ounce of weight you bring matters.
If you can imagine the above, welcome to my world these last few days as I prepare to pack for the RezMen hike! But not quite. Add to all the above my responsibility for the welfare of others. It is not just my own food, clothes, and supplies I need to prepare for. I need to make sure we have plenty of rope for hanging things, redundant systems for purifying water, and extra fuel for camp stoves. Since we anticipate arriving to a wet camping spot, I’m bringing dry kindling and pellets for starting a fire. It’s not just about the bare necessities, I also am making sure we have smoked salmon to share at hor d’oeuvre time – for I see no reason why we can’t be civilized while out in the wild!
All my backpacking gear has been laid out on a bed for several days now. Today (Wednesday) I have been reviewing each item and asking “Do we really need this?” “Is taking this worth the extra weight?” I have learned that an extra few ounces here and there quickly add up to an additional 10-15 pounds of weight I will need to haul up the mountain! Sometimes the additional weight is worth it (crackers and smoked salmon are a no-brainer) and sometimes not. Regardless, the same questions need to be asked for each item: Is this needed? Is having it worth the extra effort?
As I stared at the gear strewn all over the bed a thought occurred to me: What if I did a similar inventory with everything – all that I have, and everything in my life? The reality is we do indeed have a limited amount of time and a limited capacity to manage. Yet I write to you as one who has a storage unit crammed with all sorts of stuff. I know in the end I will end up paying more to store stuff than the stuff I’m storing is worth. Yet I continue to hold onto it, and to pay…
How would our lives be different if we asked ourselves, Is this needed? Is this worth holding onto? I leave it to you to answer for yourself with all that you possess.
These questions go beyond our goods and possessions and extend to our hopes and fears, our needs and expectations and wounds. There are emotional, psychological, and spiritual burdens we all carry every day. And for these things that weigh upon our hearts and minds, we can turn to the one who said “Come to me and hand them over, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
As for my backpack, it will end up being a little heavier than I would like. But that’s okay, some of it is for the good of the group. And what about the rest? …One must be civilized while out on the trail!
See you Sunday!
-Bill
