Early Trails

The halcyon days of my childhood were spent in the woods.

There I explored the Mississippi, shoulder to shoulder with Marquette and Joliet.  In the small, yellow meadows I pulled a travois, moving with my tribe.  Under the green shade of the pines, I was an Elvish princess.

Acorns ran through my fingers like pirate treasure.  Every pebble was a gemstone, and every fallen tree a ship I could sail.  I fashioned spears out of sticks and ranged far afield.  I was a great warrior, a fleeing captive, a pioneer trailblazer.

There was a great peace in the woods for me.  I loved to be there, and think my thoughts.  There was always some new trail to follow or grove to explore – always some new sound to identify.  All this fed my heart and my imagination.  And today, every time I step foot on a new trail, I carry the memories of those early days in my back pocket.