h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I truly felt I was going to be posting on my black site today. I am amazed I’m here instead. Today’s critical problem isn’t solved, but it is defused, for now. True, we paid the mortgage, car payment and state taxes with a credit card. So in reality we didn’t pay anything but did manage to acquire more debt. Federal taxes will go on a payment plan. So, at least for the present, the financial monster is back in his cage. He’ll start rattling the bars real soon, but not today.

For today, for at least this moment, I am not at odds with myself.

Went hiking again this weekend. Ok walking Hiking is pushing it just a bit. Me with my fear of falling, my friend with her fear of heights, playing I dare you. In retrospect it was stupid…but at the same time necessary. Crossing beaver dams, jumping from one side of the water to the other, wandering close to the edge of the ravine. Watching her slip on the wet, leaf-covered mud. She was laughing, but I’m not so sure even she would have found it funny if she realize how close to possibly break an ankle/leg she was (self you have just been triggered!). The foot that slipped was between a tree root and the mud slide. Any further and she would have been pinned. Getting to a place where we had to jump…not a big fall if we missed .. but a fall notwithstanding. Standing there saying, I can do this, I can do this, no I can’t , yes I can, I DID IT! Facing fears.

Facing fears. What a novel concept.

Neither one of us was tracking. We figured eventually we would come out somewhere and could find the car park at that point. When we decided to head back, we spent a lot of time commenting on how well we did in finding our way back to the clearing where we ended the woods. Yep it WAS the clearing, only we came back to a place 90 degrees from where we started. So much for knowing where we were.

Analogous to life, in a way.

As we ambled back along the path to civilization and the car park came in view, we decided we weren’t quite ready to face mundania quite yet. So, we took another detour. We headed up the last hill (ok, incline) chatting aimlessly. About a third of way up the conversation came to a screeching halt. Our focus changed to breathing.

Let’s put things in perspective. Time to concentrate on the basics.

Sounding like two steam engines, we reached the top. Attempting to laugh, weakly I might add, we simultaneously said, “I’m getting too old for this.” “Want to do it again tomorrow?” “Sure” (sidebar-Sunday we made it 90% of the way up before sounding like the little engines who could-we will-next week we just might make it to the top)

So, where is this all going? Darned if I know.. I think I’ll try to concentrate on one fear/problem at a time. Sometimes I’ll backslide, but that’s ok too. There are no straight paths through the forest.

There's no rush either.. take it easy, hey? If you stretch yourself too far too fast, any faltering will be harder to come back from. Softly softly catchy monkey, as my dear old used to say.

I'll be here

Thanks


(wistfully wishing I was an smiley)