So... I was sexually abused as a kid. In the last year I've learned how it has effected every breath I've taken since the day it first happened. That is the darkness. As a dividing line between that life and this, I've decided to give myself the gift of hiking all 275 miles of the Long Trail in Vermont, from the VT/Mass border to Canada. That is the light. For me it's a pilgrimage, a way to take back what had been taken from me. It is also my cause. I'll be raising money for the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN). Finally, and maybe most importantly, it's a chance for me to walk the spine of the Green Mountains, to fuck around and have fun in one of the most beautiful places on earth for 30 days!
So how did this come about? In the clusterfuck that is my head, I pulled the pin on the idea and in a matter of 2 weeks was granted a month off from work, gained the support of a remarkable organization (www.thedustycamel.org/), was blessed with free or unbelievably discounted gear, bought a shitload of books, and maps, and planned the first 10 days of my trek. It's forced me to let go, as best I can for now, the cynicism and anger that has poisoned me for most of my life. How the fuck can you be bitter when you have a small army of supporters; friends, family, relative strangers, all standing guard behind you? I can't. In the coming weeks I'll be rerouting this blog (for the 3 or 4 people that read it!) to the site that Ian of The Dusty Camel is setting up for me. I'll be taking part in their Treks For Charity program. Know in advance that I'm going to completely fuck up when it comes to thanking all the people that have helped me. I've started a list. I apologize in advance.
Onward and upward. FUCK YEAH!!!
For 30 days in September this will be my home:
No comments:
Post a Comment