“Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house,
doesn't first sit down and figure the cost…?” Luke 14:28 msg
As I sit in the beautiful cabin surrounded by trees, visions
of the *A.T. dance in my head. The thoughts have little to do with the cabin or
even the trees, but rather the assistance I gave my husband today.
The place is Ponca State Park in northeast Nebraska. The
spring event was outdoor cooking. At other state park events my husband has
taught Dutch oven, foil, fuel stove, and about every kind of outdoor cooking.
He says, “If you can cook in the kitchen,
you can cook it outdoors.” For this event, they asked him to teach trail or
backpack cooking and I assisted.
He presented cooking choices—stoves, pots, and food items. Overall
backpacking is all about going lightweight but can become expensive. Every
ounce matters. Every penny is counted.
The class was stupendous but it took me back to the poor choices
we made on our first trek and the lessons we learned. I’d always understood the
difference between wants and needs, but my overloaded pack taught me the
difference between needs and essentials—how less is more when you make smarter
choices.
(In honor of Memorial Day, I wish to share the reflections from Staff Sergeant
Matthew Starkey now serving in the National Guard as he returned from a 2009 WWII
veterans' Honor Flight to Washington DC.)
