Why

What we do sometimes serves no purpose but selfishness. Hiking the A.T. is a selfish  act that involves suffering, days of loneliness, misery, and frustration to name a few. 
Right now as Iay in my tent that is a cramped and damp A shaped tube I am tired and ache from a long walk. But, when you hang out with people at shelters, or wake up to awesome sunrises that are once in a life time moments it gets rid of the suffering. 
I think of Rousseau's noble savage. The belief that man in a natural state is truly free and in tune with his environment. Pure bullshit. I stink, rain sucks, mosquitos are horrible, the mud is omnipresent,  and I sleep on shelters with mice scurrying  around at night. But, the up side is beautiful views at sunrise and set. Vistas that I can sit and enjoy as long as I want. Though when I am hiking it is hard to look around as the trail needs watchful eyes to avoid an injury to oneself. Oh, and women did all the work so stuff it Rousseau! 

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