Guess who's getting ready to head back to the trail?

Chatting with Mom

One day while I was on the trail my mother was with me. (She’s been gone 20 years).

Mom: “Susan, what are you doing?”

Me: “Oh hi, Mom. I’m hiking the Appalachian Trail!”

Mom: “Why?”

Me: “Because I’ve been thinking about it and planning it for about 4 years and now is the time.”

Mom: “And you just up and left Lyle to take care of himself and everything else so you could do this hike?”

Me: “I didn’t leave him, Momma. When he gets through doing whatever it is he needs to do, he’ll join me.”

Mom: “You don’t expect him to hike with you, do you?”

Me: “Well, I was kind of hoping he would.”

Mom: “Well I don’t think he should, and I don’t think you should either. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Me: “Nothing I have ever done has made sense to you, Mother. I think you have always been so protective of Lyle.”

Mom: “Protective? I haven’t been protective of Lyle.”

Me: “Okay, maybe that was the wrong word. But he has always been your boy, ever since I brought him home.”

Mom: “Just because I like to bake for him doesn’t make him my ‘boy’. Besides, I know you don’t bake for him.”

Me: “No, Mom. I don’t bake for him. He does all his grocery shopping in the bakery department.”

Mom: “See, I knew that. Poor man.”

Me: “Oh, for Kripe’s sakes! I do know that the reason he’s always thought we are great cooks is because his mom did not know how to cook! Oh, how is she, by the way? How’s his whole family?”

(They’ve all gone on before him, even his two younger brothers.)

Mom: “She’s fine. They are all fine. Don’t try to change the subject. So why are you doing this hiking business?”

Me: “Okay, a long time ago Theresa sent me a map of the Appalachian Trail. I looked at it and filed it away. Then about 5 years ago I started reading about it. It’s a foot path that was established in 1937. Millions of people have traveled the 2,175 mile trail. See how nice the paths are? See how well they are marked with the white blazes? Even I can’t get lost. Are you the reason I’m directionally challenged?”

Mom: “No darling. That was your own luck of the draw.”

Me: “It’s so beautiful, mom. Every day I see something I haven’t seen before. The air smells so clean and I hear only the birds sing every day, all day. Even all the little animals I’ve seen. I love this.”

Mom: “You know you don’t have to worry about the bears. You make so much noise with that pack of yours they can hear you ½ mile away.”

Me: “Yeah, that’s what I figured. Your ‘boy’ hung this compass, mace and whistle on here before he let me leave the house.”

We just laughed together.