So, with my new schedule presently on weekends providing me with more time, and thus more freedom, with which to do things, the major thing that I have picked up (and am thankful for) has been hiking. Yup, I have been hiking lately, since this schedule changed, like never before. With all of this extra time on the weekends, how better to take advantage then this? So, it should not come as a shock that I met my friend (he with the dogs) for a nice, lengthy hike at Ramapo Reservation yesterday, prior to my shift starting.
That in itself is not what this post is about, although I have been making a conscious effort to steer clear of the two topics that seemed to dominate these blogs the last few weeks: football and politics. I will write about each of them, probably sooner rather than later. Certainly, football will be reviewed after the Super Bowl, and I cannot promise that it will not be mentioned beforehand, either. Politics? Well, it is a subject that I am getting increasingly sick of over the years, and for which there is little faith remaining with it for me. Yet, it has always been a source of fascination, reflection, and discussion, and it remains the case. However, when I leaf through my blog and see a whole section dominated by one or both of these two topics, it seems that the best thing to do is at least try and have a switch of topics. Also, I have been making more of an effort than usual to be appreciative of all that I have been blessed with in my life, and although I still need practice, it does not hurt to mention when there are examples of this gratitude.
So, yesterday's hike was a perfect example. You see, we have been trying to get out and hike new, unfamiliar trails. We went to Harriman State Park a couple of weekends ago, and decided to try Ramapo yesterday. But being the absent minded fools that we both apparently are, neither of us remembered to actually bring a map of either one, so we hiked them by winging it, by and by. Not the smartest idea, right?
We paid the price at Harriman, walking seven lengthy miles of the least interesting trail, most likely, in all of Harriman State Park. It seemed yesterday that we were going to pay another price, and that this one might cost me, specifically. It was not too late, but it was getting later, and I had the responsibility of a shift that I had to be on time with. Suddenly, it seemed that my watch was a new source of interest and fascination, because I kept rolling up my sleeve and stealing glances. We sat down for a minute, so that he could call someone to check online, and see if we could be provided with directions back to the parking lot.
Just then, we saw someone approaching. It was an attractive woman who was actually running the trail (can't imagine!). She stopped and told us the way we needed to get back, and as we walked and found all of the things that she specifically mentioned, it turned out her directions were spot on!
Yet, there was more to it than that. She told us to finish the orange trail, which literally ended five minutes later, then walk down a road for five to ten minutes, until we reached "the ruins" and saw the yellow trails. That was what we did, and "the ruins" were the beautiful remains of an old, abandoned stone house, with a trail clearly marked in yellow running to the side of it. We had been hiking for hours by then, and many miles our feet had trodden, yet many more, apparently, we needed to go. I will admit to sighing as I looked up the hill, already imagining how my legs were going to burn after this one. Sucking it up, I walked, and let the dog that I was holding the leash of (his name is Petey) pull me half the way uphill, which actually helped!
When we got close to the top, we saw someone approaching. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and we had encountered numerous people, so this was not surprising. But what was surprising was that we recognized this person! It was the original woman who had given us the directions back! She had run all that way because she had been nervous that she had been unclear, or provided bad directions! She just wanted to make sire that we would get back okay.
She walked with us for quite a bit after that, and we learned about her. She was preparing for 50 kilometer races through just such woods as these, and we compared some of the experiences of the different hiking sites that we had done. The benefits of this site, and the pitfalls of that one. So on and so forth, right?
In any case, when she was satisfied that we knew where we were, she continued on her merry way. We walked back, and got back in the parking lot, only to find her yet again. She laughed and was glad to see we had made it back. She was wiped out, and was going to call it a day. I thanked her again, as we headed towards our own car, and our own day.
It was not a major incident or anything, but just a nice reminder that there are some really cool and trusting people, such as this woman who went out of her way to help two fully grown men, both strangers, in the middle of already fairly isolated woods. She went above and beyond what she needed to do, or would have been expected to do, and for that, I am very thankful! Her actions were very sweet, and it just seemed like a good thing to acknowledge this kind act in this blog, although she is obviously not likely to read it anytime soon. I thank her, whoever she is, and all those anonymous people that I am not mentioning in my life who provided just such little acts of kindness that go such a long way towards restoring some faith in our fellow people!
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