PEOPLE, FRIENDSHIPS AND MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS

Contemplating friendships led me back to read a journal entry from 1994 that I wrote. After re-reading it, I find that the idea of a friendship and mountain wilderness connection still exists strongly in my thoughts. How do you feel about friendships?

"The mountains in their own way, even though they can be rugged, harsh, and steep can also be a contrasting picture of strength and gentleness. I tend to relate to mountains for I think that much of who I am is very much like the mountain wilderness. They appear to stand off by themselves, and only those that take the time and have the patience to learn about them know how to approach them, relate to them, and appreciate them. They can be difficult to get to know because the outer appearance has a tendency to intimidate people, but if a person was interested enough they would ifnd the quality of beauty that the mountains have and the vast variety they offer.

"The mountains are your friend for life once you have become acquainted with them and have learned to treat them with respect and admiration. What is it that the mountains have that can so be related to people and friendships?"

"Traveling into the mountains one must always be prepared for the unpredictable, the variety of weather conditions, the beauty of the dense forest and the beauty experienced at the top of the peaks. The lowest sections of the mountains offer a great amount to discover. Fields of wild flowers exhibit life that is tiny, vunlnerable, and precious. It's a beauty that can only be seen if a person gets back into this country. The variety of trees and plants lavish the lower elevations. Within inches something new can be discovered. It is peaceful, quiet, and restful when one is in the midst of all this beauty. It can be hazardous to one's life if one is not familiar with the dangers that do loom among all that is good. A person does not find this gentleness, beauty, color, delicacy, or fragility until they take the time to get back into the areas that no one much tends to venture. Are not people very much like this? Are not friendships full of beauty, discovery, and even danger? On the surface, people are like the mountains and wilderness viewed afar off. It takes adventure, time, and even a daring spirit to get close and discover the unfamiliar."

"The big picture of these mountains are such that they portray great strength and stability, unmovable, unconquering, and yet when you begin to know them they have the tiny, fragile flowers full of brilliance that give a feeling that is overwhelming at times. Sometimes you just have to sit and look at these fields to grasp the beauty. You want to just let it all sink in before you move to the next bend. You are pulled by a force that causes you to want to reflect and admire all that the wilderness has to offer. Is this not the same with people? Some portray strength and an unmovable character, and yet beneath the exterior, the fragileness, the vulnerability, and the beauty possessed calls for reflection and admiration, but only those who take the time to spend in the discovery get the privilege of experiencing the beauty of the innermost character."

"Lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, creeks, and little trickles also exist in the mountains offering a different character or perspective that is distinct and refreshing. A person can sit by one of these water oasis to think, contemplate, and get a new perspective on life. A person is a little different when they come away from such a spot. After spending time with a good friend, one is refreshed, gains a different perspective on life, and hopefully goes away just a little different and better for it."

"The mountains have a number of animals that inhabit the land and all have a different image and offer different benefits to their environment. Each one serves a special purpose and the wilderness would not be the same if one was missing. A variety of character traits exist within people, and if one was missing in any one person, that person would not be the same. Within the wilderness it takes time to get to know each animal and their behaviors. Some are harder to find than others, some are more prominent in size compared to those which are smaller, and some are easy to spot. People are not much different. It takes a lot of time wandering in the wilderness of people's lives to know who they truly are as a person. Some character traits are easy to see, others are more difficult to find. Usually the more difficult ones offer the most amazing aspects to each person and they are the core elements hidden down deep in the depths of their soul."

"Seasons give the mountains a special uniqueness. The summers, falls, winters, and springs give a new look and view to the picture. There are differences in colors and shades within each one, the lighting of the days are varied, the feelings for each season alternates and one does not always consistently see the same beautiful scenes every day; they all change, some maybe more enhanced at different times of the year. Awareness of these seasonal changes allows a person to enjoy each special moment and each picture to the fullest. People are the same. Different seasons pepper people's lives and different character traits arise within these seasons. A wall of paintings could be filled with a variety of beautiful pictures of each person, admired by onlookers who take the time to notice."

"Higher elevations involve steeper climbs, more effort, more time, more energy. The terrain at the higher elevations can be very barren with many rocks and crevaces. The only way a person can travel is to take one careful step at a time, place one foot in front of the other, looking at the ground rather than ahead. A person traveling such places hopes the mountain will remain friends with you. You treat the mountain with a greater respect and weather the hardest parts in a careful manner, always focusing on reaching the top where the rewards of your journey will be too difficult to verbally express. Sometimes along the way are icy glaciers to conquer. The possibility of sliding back a few steps always exists, but the consistency, perseverance, and efforts made will be rewarded greatly. There is a special beauty in the thick of the forest, but when one truly wants to push the limits of getting to know a person, the journey is not always lush, restful, or peaceful. Sometimes the closer a person gets to really knowing another, it becomes more difficult, more painful, and more stamina is required. Sadly,many friendships and relationships falter at the higher elevations because the effort and cost is too great."

"The very top offers magnificent, inexpressible views. It must be experienced to truly understand what it is that is so special about such an event. All the energy, the exhaustion, the pain seems to be forgotten as one overlooks the world. And yet, the higher elevations are dangerous because they are even more unpredictable than the lower. The weather patterns from one minute to the next can drastically change. Blue skies can be showing mountain peaks in three dimensional form and five minutes later a blizzard causes you to loose your way. This section of the mountain requires experience and preparation. A person is always prepared for whatever may come when they travel into these tremendous places. After spending enough time among the vulnerability of peaks and mountain tops, a person begins to know how to read the patterns and the signs, so that over time there grows a fondness, a comfortableness, and knowledge to weather such changes. The mountain will only allow the experienced to survive. And yet, many experienced mountaineers have lost their lives. The mountains cannot be tamed. They are wild and they are difficult and can be hazardous. People are not any different. I would not trade the experiences, the beauty, the challenges, and the time invested put into learning and being comfortable with such a place. It is all worth the journey."

"How many dare to venture so close to the wilderness? How many dare to venture deep into people's lives? How many are willing to allow people to venture deep into the wilderness of their souls? The wilderness and mountains have suffered greatly from those who have traveled into them through an uncaring attitude towards nurturing that which God created for our enjoyment. We too, can be tremendously hurt by allowing others in to our lives. I suppose we have to determine if the damage that can be done outweighs the blessings that arise from building relationships with others who walk similar paths."