The Grateful Thread

“Negative threads, I thought it might be nice to have one dedicated to positive things.

In the course of my studies, I have discovered that I have many aspects that are in need of change, and I have endeavored to reprogram myself in new and postitive ways and am becoming more compassionate, loving and respectful. Not only of myself, but others as well..so, some the things I'm grateful for are:

My capacity to understand myself and effect change
My friend and companion Khatru, who loves me unconditionally,
My love and passion for the wilderness
My health
My mother
My friends, who treat me like family
Jody and Janice, who are my angels put here to aid, guide and love me for who I am and forgive me for being an idiot
My new bike, Anduril
Breath...for without breath, there would be no life
Dave, who makes canoeing a joy beyond words
My Sport Trak...who transports me to such wonderous places
God, who never abondoned me, even though I thought I was
Myself, for never giving up
My guides, who show me how to find courageousness, strength, patience and wisdom

and many other things beyond words...

Blessings to all...

Oh yeah...sunsets...I love sunsets and am grateful for their beauty.”

“you are becoming a very inspiring person.”

“but worth it. BTW...I will not be coming to colorado in July...I'm coming in 2 weeks, but not for camping, I'm visiting a friend, and that I am also very grateful for.”

“I'm grateful for internet radio and good music to make the work go faster!”

“I'm grateful for that wonderful spiced ham called Spam....among lots of other stuff of course!”

“My health, my job, my capacity to love, my humor, my adventurous side, my capacity to think outside the lines, my capacity to assimilate new ideas even if they are unconventional, my chance to move to Arizona when I'm still young enough to enjoy it, that I know my own mind, I don't succumb to peer pressure, TT and, The Steelers are in the Superbowl!!!!!”

“The gift of language, for without that, we'd be all alone in the universe.

So, thank you to all those who communicate with me regularly, without you, I'd go insane.”

“Great thread Stik!”

“My husband, my house, my father-in-law and in law family, my health, my life....there are so many things to be thankful for but mostly I am thankful for my two feet which have taken me many places I never thought or even imagined I would be, and has led me to my husband and this life I have now. I want to thank the unexpected too...there is something new always around the next corner- something fresh and exciting, a new expirience, a new way to face fears and grow inwardly. :)”

“Funny, on a regional outdoors board I opened a thread with this title lately, expecting a thread like this and found a thread about the Grateful Dead. So, when I opened this thread I guessed - to myself - that it would be about the Grateful Dead. So, this reminds me that I am grateful for a life full of surprises, that I can be so often humbled and delighted by things I do not expect.

But I feel lucky and blessed to have my life and to so much that is pleasant and enjoyable. I'm grateful for my home - both the house itself and the people who helped rebuild it and the love and joy in it, my wife the amazing relationship we have, our children and our dogs. I'm so thrilled to have a happy home. I'm grateful to be have enough money that I have no real worries about losing the material things I have and I'm grateful for the public and private health insurances that have kept me from going broke. I'm grateful for all the really fine people I've met and the communities I feel a part of - including this one on TT.

I'm grateful to be alive and in shape to backpack and not be in a fight for my life (I got some very scary medical news recently, but it seems to have turned out OK).

I wouldn't have thought to say I am grateful for language - but Stikmon's point is well taken. I am grateful for this wonderful dance of language that fills my life and has much to do with the meaning and the fellowship I find here.”

“Sniff, sniff, this is all bringing me to tears. How 'bout a group hug? I'd be grateful.”

“Stik I remember one night at Mt Rogers how you really appreciated one of the other TTers....I think you asked her to marry you!”

“and she hasn't spoken to me since. One day, I hope I meet the woman who is hoping to meet me. That's the goal. Namaste!”

“A few more drinks of tekillya and she would have said yes!”

“find ourselves before we can find someone else. Gabrielle is a nice person, and I regret saying what I said, if it turned her away from me...oh well.”

“Naw man she didn't think a thing about it!”

“I was just looking over my pictures from that trip, and I have a few pasted on my gear closet...great time. I was at MR this year, the week before the TT trip. It was stellar! Stayed at the Thomas knob shelter. Had a sweet time.”

“Hey Mark, if you have a few minutes to grab a beer or something when your out here, I'd be happy to share one with you.”

“I'm open to it.”

“well ok Sunshine She treats me great and is the best thing that happened to me. gotta love tt babes”

“Cool thread! Nice to read this kind of stuff! Seen you post less and less of recent times, Stik. But, you are saying lots with your posts. Glad to hear you so full of life and positive thinking. My best to you and keep on thinking like this. It suits you well!”

“It is sheer delight to browse through this thread and hear/see/feel positive energy instead of negative or ridicule humor that we are so accustomed to.

Grateful for life.”

“What a GREAT idea for a thread, thank you for starting this! You're right, it's great to have a positive thread... I'm sure we all have positive things in our life to be grateful for, at the very least we're all backpackers!

In my case, (this is not in any order), the things I'm thankful for but don't often discuss at any great length:
1. My dog. I truly love taking him for walks along the river where he can sniff things to his hearts content. He's going on 13 years old, the longest any of my buddies has lasted! My best friend.
2. My son. Looks like he may end up teaching Engish in Japan & possibly becoming a Buddhist Monk. He's a happy, well-adjusted person currently on the Dean's list at his University, Yea for him!
3. Backpacking! Nuff' said. I owe what little sanity I still have to my ability to get out!
4. Where I live. My sincere condolences to any who don't live in Northern California. This morning I drove 60 miles to 6500' in the Sierra to see if I wanted to just snowshoe around for the day, or, camp for the night (weather sucked, I played awhile then drove home). I walk to the American River in 10 minutes, watch the Salmon spawning upriver, hike along the horse trail, or, if I'm working from home, jump on my bike & do about a 20 mile round trip de-stress ride up the river, around Lake Nimbus, then home. From here I can also easily drive to Trinity Alps, Northern coast hikes, ie, Pt. Reyes, Lost Coast, etc, Yosemite is less than 3 hrs, there is absolutely everythjing anyone could want here!
5. My health. I can still do all this stuff!
6. My wife. This alone could be the next 5000 words... so I'll just say I am VERY grateful that she has the ability to understand what a dork I can be, but still supports anything I want to do, from new gear to vacations away while I'm doing my "Treks", etc.

Lot's more, but I don't want to bore everyone. I am truly thankful / grateful for all of the good things that have come my way in my life. I am one very lucky dude!”

“Im Grateful for the Dead : )”

“I'm grateful that sleepless nights like tonight are rare and I'm grateful that on this sleepless night I have come across many posts I hadn't seen which were made by spalpeen for whom I'm VERY grateful.”

“ah shucks, i am such a goober”

“but I am grateful for you”

“"Two roads converged in a yellow wood......."
Poetry, I'm thankful for poetry...because poetry is expressing what is in the hearts and minds of others.......including me.
I'm thankful for getting to open my eyes in the early morning and realizing that a new day is about to yawn and stretch and sing.......”

“I am grateful for my son, in so many ways!”

“Family,my 4 dogs,two cats,two goats and two rats,my home,my retirement,my truck,my backpacking gear,my health.”

“I am grateful for all the 2nd chances i've been given.
I am grateful for all the friends who are gone but not forgotten.
I am grateful for every day I wake up!”

“I do everynight as I lie in bed, just before sleep. Its a simple thing but very meaningful and powerful. I think of a different thing I'm grateful for that happend that day. There are usually many, but in this excercise, I think of only one. It gives me pause to reflect with that last thought before I fall into sleep.

Thanks for appreciating this thread and you're welcome to those who have expressed thanks to me.”

“I'm grateful for Dani, liquor, and being able to keep my food down.

:D”

“Today I am greatful for some new friends who buy our spare animals and sell them for us in thier petshop :)

They are really great to hang with and are a lot of fun.”

“I'm grateful I just got a call about a job in Spokane! Sounds like a great one, will learn more this week.”

“I am grateful for getting my tent floor back from the goat-roper from North Carolina!!!

Got rats??”

“Marko I have rats :) I sold 8 of them this morning. :)”

“Rats!!!

"You dirty rat!!"
(guess who said that?)

"You'll get your's..........see?"”

“well I am grateful for Sunshine”

“Ok, ok, spalpeen. WE KNOW! :-D

Just kidding. I am so happy for both of you and can't wait to see the grateful couple during the birch and sass weekend. Good going to you both! Just don't get to mushy or I'll have to barf.

Good thread stikmon.

I had a pretty rough year in 2005. Couple of ups surrounded by bunches of real tough situations.

I'm grateful that I was able to deal with everything and not completely lose my mind.

I'm grateful to a fresh start in a new location that seems to contain trailtalkers just as nice as those I met in MI.

I'm grateful for my family.
That my son is not going back to Iraq and is getting out of the army in April
That my daughter will move out here with me in June (can't wait!)
That my horse and dog made this move a little less lonely
That my bosses let me come to IL regardless of how much time I spend on TT. (I'm just that good)
That I have all of you folks to talk to when it gets lonely in this new town.

That's enough, must save some for Thanksgiving.”

“I'm grateful that this is not about The Grateful Dead.........dang out-of-tune caterwaulers!!!!”

“I'm grateful our houseguest left a bottle of bailey's.”

“I'm grateful that Marko lives in Maryland or I might have to sick my goats and rats on him!!!!!”

“I should show marko my trail rat sometime :) Shes a big one. her name is Ghetto.”

“We're gonna have some babies soon I'll send one up to
Maryland!”

“I'm grateful for TTers to talk to when I forget I have a lot to be grateful for ;)”

“spam, I had two rats give birth near the same time...one had 11, the other 10. I had my hands full! LOL what makes matters worse, my snake has decided to go on a hunger strike for a while...so I had to sell em.

Spam, a hint...handle them as soon as you can after birth so they are freindly :) even if you have to move mom is she bites to do so. The first batch I waited to long to handle and they were nippers. the second batch were very sweet and will make good pets :)”

“Thanks for the info SC we've never experienced rat babies before.”

“I'm grateful the Steelers won the Superbowl! Wow am I thankful!!!”

“That one flea flicker was one helluva play.......”