As I finalize the items that I’m taking, as always, I’ve packed too much. I’ll pack my gear several times before Friday and begin to cut items that would be nice to have but I really don’t need. Once on the trail, as I make that first ascent, I’ll vow to cut another group of items that I really don’t need. After about a week, my body will have adjusted to the “net” weight of hiking – the balancing point when the weight of my wants are in equilibrium with my needs.
Isn’t life like that? Aren’t we always engaging in a balancing act – time, money, relationships, attention, work, love? The trail teaches us to be honest with what we really need to take along the way. Our bodies don’t want us to carry anything extra as we ascend that slope. In reality, our bodies need little on the trail other than warmth, water, and a little food (much less than we think we need). I find that as I get older, my list of things I “need” grows shorter. Practically, that means that much in my life is a luxury. Or perhaps I’ve just learned to view it as such.
What else to I need to cut? What else looks like a need, but is in reality a want?