An Urban Hike...

Saturday, January 21, 2012

What a beautiful, sunny winter day.  We started our journey about 10:10a and headed out on a scenic tour of downtown Benton Harbor, Michigan and then crossed the river and continued our trek through the streets of St. Joseph, Michigan, before turning off the road and hiking a few miles along the frozen beachfront of Lake Michigan.  Charlie shared that although he appreciates Urban Hiking he prefers the quiet of the woods.  I have to agree with him…many times in the woods during deer season I have thought there is nothing more satisfying than listening to the music the dripping of melting snow makes as it falls from the tree branches above and dances across the forest below…but urban settings also have many beautiful things to share…you just have to open yourself to the different tune that the city sings.

Today’s lesson…Ever hear about the sheep that all ran off the cliff…each following the one in front of it right off the edge for no reason at all???  The hiking group was approaching a busy four lane roadway.  The first few members of the group sensibly checked for traffic and ventured across the roadway…but to my amazement the rest of the group continued to follow suit…never glancing at the approaching vehicles or checking to see if it was safe.  I shouted out “Stop” which caused many of them, just stepping out into the roadway, to pause, look-up, and notice the fast approaching vehicles.  Later, I shared with Charlie the story about how sometimes, when we are in a group, we lose touch with the importance of maintaining our own independent perspective of reality and if not careful could end up like the sheep in the story that follow their friends off the cliff because they stopped attending to their individual reality and just followed the group.  He got the point…a wonderful learning opportunity for us both.

Charlie and I chatted for the remainder of the hike about all kinds of different things and before we knew it we had covered the 8 miles and were back at The Livery having completed our first official Urban Hike at about 12:25p.