[at-l] 10 years ago today

[rcli4 at comcast.net]

10 years ago today I died from congestive heart failure caused by 
cardiomyopathy.  I don't know what that means but that's what it said on the insurance papers. If my wife wasn't a nurse I would have stayed dead.  She done 
what she does and I made it through.  My cardioligist was hand picked by her to 
help me stay living.  She was Vietnamese and mean as hell.  She was as honest as 
any person I have ever met.  She said I better get my affairs in order because 
the chances of me living a long life was slim to none.  After a week of test she 
told me statistically I would probably live about five years without a heart 
transplant.  
     I went home and got all my stuff in order in case I was on the short end of 
the statistical curve.  I started walking on the local rail trail a short time 
later.  I met an old lady carrying a huge backpack.  Since she was old and 
carrying a lot of weight and I was an invalid waiting to cash it in, we walked 
about the same pace.  I got to know her and asked her why she carried all that 
junk on her back.  She said every year she went to hike for a month on the 
Appalachian Trail.  She carried a lot of weight to help make up for the lack of 
hills in Florida. I asked her where the trail was at.  That old lady caused me to 
catch this sickness we call backpacking.  
     I continued to walk the rail trail until I worked up to ten miles a day in 
about 2 1/2 hours.  Six years ago next week I went to North Georgia to the first 
really organized SoRuck.  On Saturday morning Ken Bennett aka "Big Cranky", Lee 
I. Joe, and his 6 year old son Trooper set out to hike to the top of Blood Mtn.  
I told them I wasn't sure if I could make it but I was going to try.  I loaded 
all my gear in my pack and we headed out.  Trooper would stop every once in a 
while and ask me if I was all right.  I truly believe that this 6 year old took 
breaks on the way up because he thought I needed to stop and rest.   When we 
reached the top someone took a picture of trooper and I.  That picture is one of 
my most prized possessions. It has hung on my wall ever since.  It was the first 
time that I thought I might be on the long end of the statistical curve. 

Clyde