Tuesday, May 12, 2015

A Night Trek in a Storm and a Recognizing a Life Metaphor

I went out last night for a several mile night trek, as I tend to do most days.  Usually average about 6 miles, sometimes more, sometimes a little less, but it is part of my world and a great time to reflect on things.  Everything is quiet and conducive to settling into a thoughtful mode.

Last night I headed out earlier than usual, about 9pm, as I was set to have a conversation later that evening with a friend of mine who has become, in a manner of speaking, a kind of life coach with the insights, understanding and guidance she displays about my journey.  (She's one of the wisest individuals I have ever known and tough as iron.  Though just in her thirties, she's like a modern day Shaolin Monk in some ways!).

Little did I know, but I picked the exact hour that Lexington got hit with a wave of storms.  I had my rain gear on, but as I got underway I got hit with quite the downpour.  I might be a little crazy, but I tend to tough things like this out, and I continued.

This particular storm came in bursts, with periods of downpour separated by periods with light rainfall or no rainfall at all.  These shifts occurred, I began to reflect that this particular night trek was, in a way, a metaphor for my own journey and it made it all the more imperative that I complete my mission.

The periods of downpour are like the big storms that events in life can bring to your personal life.  When the weather is clear, I love to look far ahead and even above into the trees and sky.  In the downpour, I had to bring my vision close in, keeping a better watch on each individual step, and in pulling my jacket in closer and with the rain beating down I was not afforded the chance to gaze about and upward.

In a way, that's like the way it is during difficult times in life.  You go into a different mode, sometimes having to pull in a bit, concentrate on getting through the day to day rather than being able to take the bigger view.  You have to watch each step to make sure you navigate your path while you tough it out and wait for the storm to break.

The pattern I experienced on the night hike, of a downpour, followed by either a clear zone or a period of light rain, definitely reflected the path of life in this regard.  Sometimes there are times where it is not a downpour but neither is it smooth sailing, and that was like the zones with the light rain.  I wasn't as restricted as I was during the downpour to get through, but neither was I afforded the ability to fully take everything in like in the clear zones.

The trek continued, with a few big downpours, a few clear zones, and a few periods of light rain, and then deeper into the hike everything settled.  The last part of the hike was completed in a clear zone and I reached my destination none the worse for wear.  I also discovered that I pulled off one of my better per mile paces.

I saw this as a reflection of the idea that despite storms and difficult periods, if you press ahead and continue through, enduring the storms in the process, you can reach the destination you are seeking and find out that you performed a journey much better than you thought you might have.  You grow along the journey, you develop and build strength, and eventually you come to a place where things settle in a little better. The storms will come, but they will pass, and the journey will meet with success.  Keep moving forward, Onward and Upward.



5 comments:

The Chocolate Priestess said...

I'm grateful that you didn't run into worse weather but I'm glad it gave you time to reflect.

sgzimmer said...

@TammyJo Eckhart thank you for reading. These hikes always give me time to reflect, this was just a unique one with the ebbs and flows of a storm. The downpours were pretty heavy, but as it shifted between downpour to light rain to clear and then back, the whole metaphor took shape in my mind. I saw a big picture kind of vision reflected in the entire hike, which is why I posted this. :)

Unknown said...

Excellent thoughtful reflection Steven. It is interesting where and how fate has things like this happen when you least expect it. I feel when this happens it makes one appreciate more the reflections that surface and really see the value in them.

I am looking forward to bebng able to start hiking/walking as you do at night. I feel too it will help me keep on the path that is best for me as well and help me to think out the things I should and do better in the things in life that get thrown my way,lol.

sgzimmer said...

@Erin Nance Thank you for reading and yes, I think you will find hiking/walking at night to be a very reflective kind of activity. As we know, you cannot tell when the storms will arrive, but there is a path through them, even if difficult sometimes.

Unknown said...

nice

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