Why talk about the weather when we could very well be selling umbrellas?

Ever since I got to Korea, I've been writing more and more with each passing month. This blog has served to record the stories from my life's experiences here. I have journals where I write my uber-personal ramblings and prayers. And then I have the project that I started in September, which is a collection of musings about God, growth and life that I haven't actually shared with anyone...

...but I decided to change that. I realized that what I like most about reading other people's blogs is being able to see them learn and grow, and so I've decided to add a couple of paragraphs from my "musings" every once in awhile. Someday, God-willing, maybe I'll get this stuff published...but until then, take it for what its worth. I welcome any and all comments. And don't plagiarize, because Jack Bauer will hunt you down.

INSTALLMENT ONE:

"As a child I hated hiking. I can’t remember how many tantrums I threw at the mere proposition of such an activity. Hiking. To my childhood self hiking was walking around with no TV, no music (this was before mp3 players, gosh do I feel old), in some barren remote area on a designated 4 foot wide path talking about everything grown-up that no little kid cares about in the slightest. And it will take 3 hours, if it is cold it will take 3 hours and if it is warm it may take longer.

I think I can blame most of my distaste for hiking on the environment. Northern Indiana hiking is not something anyone would call “spectacular”. Many times we walked through fields, along a stream, and very occasionally we would find a hill. Everyone is walking straight ahead, just keep walking, keep walking uphill and down, through trees and across bridges, up the stairs and through the mud. I used to think of how ugly nature was, when everything was brown and dead or muddy.

I realize now in my maturity that for a large portion of my childhood hiking experience, I was looking at the path itself at all times to ensure I wasn’t in danger of stepping on a rogue rock, branch, or God-forbid, something very alive. I was always fearful that I would step on something or that I would trip and fall, so in order to avoid this fate my eyes were firmly focused on the path. Looking back, I of course realize that focusing on the path rarely lets you enjoy the scenery. I could have been hiking next to many beautiful things, but I will never know for sure. This I regret.

And yet, I feel like many times I have gone through life the same way, so focused and determined not to fall that I forget to stop looking down and enjoy the view. If you go hiking and solely look at the path and think “left foot right foot left foot right foot” as you trudge along, when you finish, what have you accomplished? Yes you have walked a few, perhaps many miles. You may have even managed to stay upright the whole time. But did you gain any knowledge? Did you appreciate anything? Did you ever wonder why you were hiking in the first place? And most importantly, did you even notice anything but yourself?"