A couple of Sundays ago we went to Dupont State Park to hike. We have been there several times and like to go back. It is one of the places we can take our dogs. We always hike the same trails and yet they are different each time we go. We hiked the trails to Hooker Falls, Triple Falls and High Falls. High Falls really consist of two parts. There is the hike to the bottom of the falls where you can go to the water and a hike along the Covered Bridge Trail to the top of the falls which is to view only. Triple Falls is similar in the sense that the entire three levels of the falls can be viewed from the trail or you can go down the long stairs to be at the water. We, of course, do both. There are other trails in the park that we have not yet taken but I’m sure we will.

Going to the base of a waterfall is an awesome experience and so worth the time and energy it takes to make the trip. The sound of the water rushing down the falls and merging with the pool at the bottom is spectacular. The sense of being in the here and now is completely natural. The experience is totally one of sound, movement, scent and feelings, both external and internal. I understand why so many people find nature meditative.

And just as powerful, in the opposite way, is the subtle quietness of the hiking trail. Somedays, when hiking, we can go long periods of time without meeting anyone or even talking to each other. The silence stillness of the trees or the gentle rustle of the branches and leaves as the wind passes through them is a never-ending reminder of the scale of life and my part in it. This understanding is the same whether walking on gravel or twigs that are making crunching sounds, or upon soft dirt, silently moving forward.

This Sunday is not one of the days when we hike without seeing others. This day has many people on the trail and at the waterfalls. When I first started hiking, I found this annoying. I wanted the settings to myself. How silly and self-centered I can be at times. I thought only of my enjoyment and the chance to photograph scenes in only their natural state. I was missing the big picture.

This Sunday, I enjoyed the other people enjoying the day as I was. There were others with their dogs. One man was carrying his dog that was old and blind. I was touched that he would go to this length to spend time with the dog and share the outdoors experience with him. Another man had one of the type of strollers that people who jog use to take their children with them when they run. He and his wife had brought their three dogs on the hike with them. Two were in the stroller as they were old and the walk was to much for them. I was touched and found myself wondering how I will be when my dogs are older. I thought about the people I meet in life that are in moments of weakness due to their life circumstance and reflected on how I behaved with them. I realized that sometimes I engaged with loving-kindness while at others I can not see past myself. I was grateful that my wife and our two dogs could enjoy the hike and each other. My teachers surround me and the lessons are apparent when I am open.

Many families were there. Children of all ages with their parents and other family members. All of us enjoying the day by being with and part of the nature that surrounded us. I noticed no one being angry or in a particular hurry to “get somewhere.” People of all ages were sharing the same path, talking with each other and other hikers; helping each other when needed. There was a lot of laughter and smiles. Satisfaction, contentment and enjoyment seemed to rise from being in the present.

I find myself reflecting on my life today and in the past. I spent so many years hurrying to get somewhere that never seemed to be the right place. Hustling to get things that never seemed to be enough. Working on self-improvement that never seems to make me who I thought I should be. Chasing illusions that always seemed to morph into something else as I got close to the goal. Looking for validation for who I was or atonement to be who I thought I should be. Always running either to escape something or to be something else. Always trying to find myself, in all the wrong places.

Today I enjoy both the sound of the waterfalls and the silence of the path. When silence or activity surrounds me I am accepting and know that all is well and that I am enough. Today I find myself by looking at my feet.