Steven Chung: Outside Reading #2

I read a journal entry by Uncle Sam in Trail Journals.  From reading the journal I can see that hiking the Appalachian Trail can definitely have a profound effect on people.  In his journal, he stated that hiking the trail gave him the rare opportunity to be be completely quiet and figure out what is important in his own life.  Being alone in the woods gave him the opportunity to step away from all the "bullshit" of structured society and leave his brain with nothing but honesty.  From being detached from society he came to the realization that he has so much love for his family and friends, and he never wanted to hike a trail alone.  He realized his need for companionship and that for him, it was always better to be around someone than to be alone.  Hiking the trail gave him the opportunity to be true to himself and realize that he needed to start living life for himself and for what he wants instead of always trying to step aside for others and being a pushover.  This kind of realization was something that sparked while he was on the trail, but it will always be with him from now on.  This circumstance clearly demonstrated Lane's 4th axiom, which states that experience of a sacred site is not only local but universal.