Lately I have been getting the “pep talk”. You know the one that I am referring to. The conversation you have with the person you know who is voluntarily opting to spend 6 months sleeping in a tent and hiking in their free time. The person who considers dinner and shower complete with Ramen and a dip in the stream. Oh and the person who refers to this little trek as a vacation.
“Don’t hike yourself into the stone age, you know, don’t come back and go to luncheons with dirt under your nails because it’s ‘natural’,” my mom said as she regarded me with serious eyes and her hands firm but lovingly on my shoulders.
At a moment like this one I just laugh. I give my parents a lot of credit for putting up with my oddities, “scientific experiments,” and phases, like the time I covered all my mirrors for a week because I thought it was the root of vanity or the summer I stopped wearing mascara due to its root of insecurity, or the 100 days I boycotted shampoo because “it’s not natural,” which is my constant rebuttal.
And yes, I am a hypocrite. Is it wrong for me to think a guy is gorgeous up until he steps out of the tanning bed, because I see that as vain, while I still wear mascara? My friend pointed out that both Mr. GQ and I are doing different things for the same reason…because we think the application of UV rays or a cosmetic make us look better. So…there you have it.
I shared my near-future endeavor with a couple of coworkers and they expect that I’ll come back having lost the ability to speak, “you’ll grunt and I’ll say, ok I’ll get you some food Jill,” said Mr. Rock.
I don’t know how the trail will affect me. All I know is that I have started something and it needs to be finished. All of these “experiments” have intrinsically been preparing me for my upcoming journey. There will be reflections and applications just not those that come from mirrors and cosmetics.
