I have a trail name

I have been watching many videos on YouTube from various hikers. Whether they are hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, Appalachian Trail, or thousands of other trails, I have found one simple thing in common. They give each person who hikes on these trails a trail name. It is not one chosen by the hiker themselves but given to them. As explained in this article they can give a trail name for almost any reason. A hiker’s look, tendencies, something they did or said, how they walk, what they eat, almost anything. This got me thinking, what would my trail name be? As is customary I cannot give myself a name so I timidly reached out to my buddy Mark (a. k. a. Deermark), for a name.

A trail name can be given to anyone who has hiked one of the major trails. It does not involve completion of the trail, only that I hiked on it. Since I have hiked a minute part of the Appalachian Trail a few times, I qualify for a trail name.

As my anticipation mounted, and a bit of fear. Mark can be known for hijinks. I was unsure what he might come back with. Doughboy, Sasquatch, and many others popped in my head. One may refuse a trail name, but it is respectful to accept what they are given.

Text started arriving. His first choice was mentioned, then “Where To, Tick Collector, Timulation, Timultuous, Fuji Tim, Simply Tim” and a few others. Ultimately, he landed on one.

Alfred Joyce Kilmer was a poet and an American writer who wrote the famous poem “Trees”. Mark, upon knowing me very well, and reading my latest blog dendrophile, pondered my trail name and came up with ‘Kilmer’. A befitting choice I feel. Here is Joyce Kilmer’s poem titled “Trees”:

“I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.”

I am honored and humbled to accept this name, not only due to a dear friend choosing it for me but also to represent Joyce Kilmer and his poetic words about one of my favorite things. Trees.

Until next time,

Tim (a. k. a. Kilmer)

Comments

Mentor

When my photography journey rekindled back in 2015 with a trip to Maine, I never knew how far I would come and how important pushing a button on a camera would be. I have come a long way, but still have so much more to learn. A mentor is described as an experienced and trusted adviser (noun) . Also, as someone who will advise or train (someone, especially a younger colleague ) (verb). Wikipedia also states mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. Since I have gotten more serious about my photography, I have been looking for a mentor that fits these categories listed above. Seeking guidance, I reached out to a handful of “professional” photographers to inquire about mentorship. I received no response from one person, another person casually mentioned that they rarely mentor, and a third person kindly explained that they ...

Nobody's Listening

I recently had conversations with two people I know that had experienced a sudden rash of acute anxiety. One was medication related, the other was situational. Both stated that they now had a better understanding of what I have been dealing with. With the recent changes to my medication, Although I still feel anxiety, it no longer takes control of my emotions like it did in the past. However, I know acutely that it still lurks on the fringes, patiently awaiting its chance to pounce on me. During my recent visit to Dr. Erin, she assigned me an exercise where I had to jot down three things each day that I felt I excelled at. This is proving to be difficult for me. The parameters are straightforward and easy to understand. “Anything I do well that day,” she said. As I continued with this exercise, I began thinking of a song by Linkin Par called Nobody’s Listening. I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress Handful of anger held in my chest And everything left’s a wast...

Tested

Life is a series of tests, pushing us to our limits and forcing us to grow. All blessings originate from a God, yet they manifest through different circumstances, encounters, and individuals. Throughout the past six weeks, I have encountered a myriad of these tests. This is part of the reason I have not written in a while - the constant distractions that have consumed my time and focus. Balancing my mental state and warding off anxiety has consumed my attention, leaving no room to articulate my thoughts through writing. My journey began recently when, with the advice of a medical professional, I began taking Trintellix at its lowest dose of 5mg per day. Gradually I increased to 10mg a day and now am at 20mg a day. During this time, my anxiety has lessened quite a bit, but recent events have put this medication to the test. Our initial challenge was to carefully research vans, searching for ones that would be ideal for safely transporting our furry companions. The cramped spac...

Ruminator

Search This Blog