Muddy Hikes

We were in Hawaii, and it was raining. A lot.

The forecast called for rain the entire week we were there. I will admit that Brian and I were pretty bummed about it. Not to be deterred, we went ahead with all of our plans. One of those things was a cool hike with fantastic views. It wasn’t actually raining when we went hiking, but the day before had been a wet one.

We parked our car and noticed several other hikers were covered in mud. COVERED. We hesitated for just a moment. Was this even worth it? Yeah, it was. We started the trek up the mountain.

This is where things got interesting.

Brian and I are similar in a lot of ways. But on this particular hike, our differences have never been so visible.

Brian took about three slippery steps before he decided he needed a walking stick. In fact, he got two. Two walking sticks. He moved at a pace that can only be described as SSSLLLOOOOOWWWW. Old man, even. He was careful, his steps were calculated and executed with precision. His walking sticks became additional appendages. It was impressive to watch him navigate the treacherous trail. Well, impressive and kind of annoying.

I, on the other hand, had no walking sticks. I was not careful at all. I just marched ahead, slipping and sliding the entire trail. I boldly stepped forward, and sometimes I fell. Hard. Actually, I fell about 10 times. Yes, I counted. I’d pause every now and again, usually after I had fallen down, which gave Brian some time to catch up. Not only were my shoes muddy, but everything else was, too.

For the record, he also fell. But only once.

I have laughed so many times thinking about this hike. Could we be more different?! Brian and I both made it all the way up, and all the way down, but how we accomplished that was not the same. For one thing, Brian finished much cleaner than me. He loved his walking sticks, and I could not use any. I also laughed a bit more on the hike more than he did…he seemed to be worried about falling the whole time. It made me wonder—is one way better than the other?

I don’t think so. Brian and I are different, and that is beautiful. His cautious and careful nature serves him well. He makes a lot of smart, thought-out decisions. I am definitely more impulsive and less calculated. My decisions are made quickly, and I fall a lot more than he does. But that is how people are.

Different.

Unique.

Remember, our differences are what make life interesting. And so, so, so fun.