Instilled in the “Essence of my Being” were lessons learned in my youth. Life deals its blows – both inflicted by others and by self – and mistakes remain part of the human condition, and my own.
Fortunately for me, “Pride and Tradition” were also instilled in me as a Knoxville native and Central High School Bobcat.
That WILL to succeed in spite of the failures also enabled my passion for the outdoors as a sexagenarian. Sunday’s two-and-a-half-hour hike on the Appalachian Trail in subzero conditions – including knee deep snow and chest high drifts – reminded me of who and what I really am. Desire met opportunity and an epic adventure ensued. Nature also blessed us with the rarest of sights: an Alpenglow which lit the trees with a stunning pink hue.
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- Thomas Mabry, aka Badger, just after sunrise (photo courtesy of Timm Davis)
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- Alpenglow at the Appalachian Trail access (photo Thomas Mabry)
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- The rising sun guided the hikers back (photo Thomas Mabry)
This experience was God’s signal that despite the difficulty and fear of going forward, the reward was a view that lit the soul. As I told my friend Timm: “These moments are earned, and we live for them.”
This hike was on the Appalachian Trail on the Tennessee/North Carolina State line. 1.21.2024
Thomas Mabry – Honey Badger Images. Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at Instagram.com/honeybadgerimages