Matt's Journal

I am gearing up to write some hike logs. There is no shortage of material to write about. We have taken many hikes over the last year, especially with Laura retiring. But the logorrhea of the COVID years has declined, and I’m at a loss for words.

If I’m asked about a hike we took, I can talk about it readily. Often there isn’t much to say. “It was easy”, “it was beautiful”, “it was really hard but I’d do it again”. The pictures we took provoke memories, and that will lead to things to write. I took notes during a month-long camping trip at Yosemite and that will shake some things down to write about too.

Being in a writing class some years ago consistently got me writing. I have been conditioned to seek good grades all my life, and I was writing for a grade. And even though it bought me absolutely nothing, that had motivating power. The habit stuck for some time afterwards, throughout the ensuing pandemic, and it probably helped me keep my spirits and activity level up.

Now that we’re “past all that”, though, activity levels are picking up on their own. Why write when there are other things to do?