A speck in the universe, walking alone

June 8, 2018 a-roving out and about the birds and the trees

It was because Craig likes to baby his colds, while I prefer to ignore mine, that I found myself hiking twelve miles of the Wales Coast Path by myself one afternoon last fall. The September day was bright, but lingering clouds from the previous night’s rainfall lent drama to the sky. Sections of the path were scrambles down to or up from small rocky beaches. Other sections edged fields along the clifftop and offered splendid views out to sea.

I walked with energy. But from time to time I had to stop, simply to drink in the scenery and allow myself to experience the full delight of being on this walk, in this place. Though alone, I was far from lonely. I felt like an explorer, making discoveries, thrilled by each encounter: a kestrel, an adder, a sheep (okay, lots of sheep!), the occasional fellow walker… And at the same time, I knew I was treading in the footsteps of thousands of other travelers, continuing a tramping tradition that has been a vigorous part of British life for centuries. The walk linked me to my roots, in both time and place. Some day I’d like to do it with my sisters.

Being out on my own in nature — and especially hiking somewhere that feels remote — feeds me in a way that I wish I could articulate. It’s not that I dislike company, but there’s something free and exhilarating about going out by myself. I feel it in my body: my breath catches, my heartbeat quickens, my eyes brim with tears, and I’m overwhelmed with joy and wonder and gratitude. I’m only a speck in this universe, but I am part of it all. The feeling is bone-deep, soul-deep — a sense of connection to something more vast, more ancient, more… grand than myself. It’s humbling and uplifting all at once, and it nourishes me.

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
(hymn text by Folliott Sandford Pierpont)

In gratitude that I am sometimes given the privilege
of traveling the scenic route instead of the express lane.
Connections
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