Have you ever noticed that hills are far more intimidating from a distance? I ran the same route as I did yesterday and I have this thought nearly every time I run it. There are some intimidating looking hills out here. The prairies are vast and rolling. dropping into the river valley the hill climbing out looks foreboding. It’s several kilometers of steady climbing. But when you are at the hill, with just the few feet in front of you to look at, it feels doable. Sure, my breathing is quicker, and my heart rate rises to meet the incline, but the immensity of the hill is occluded by the rhythm of my feet and the limitation of my view. It reminds me that nearly all my problems are less intimidating up close. Just get at it. You’ll find you’re more capable than you thought.
How did our saints fair today?
Morning rainy—Came off fair and we rolled out about 10 A.M.—11 miles to Elkhorn Bridge where we went into camp. Roads hilly but not as muddy as yesterday—the smartness of the rain seems to have beat the surface hard—we leave the Bluff roads at this point and come out upon the bottom of the Platte—Found here several teams for D. Lake: overto[o]k also several on the road—Hailed several from S. Lake. This is a fine place for camping—plenty of wood, feed and river water and the luxuriant shade of the Stately Cotton Woods invites the weary traveller to a moment of sweet repose—Here we met with our first Indian friends (Pawnees) who were not long in making known their wants.
Axle broken in Bro. Allen’s wag. which was quickly repaired by the skill of Cap. Hutchings—little damage has been sustained by the train thus far –
Some very judicious remarks in the evening by Capts. Cannon, Jolley & Turner upon Harmony in camp and the carrying of unnecessary things by weak teams –
When I run along the highway most drivers, especially the truckers, try to give me a little extra room. I run into traffic not with it. As people make room for me I generally give a little wave. Most wave back. It is a fine thing to think of the saints hailing others along their way too.
As a boy I would have been a little surprised to learn that they travelled on a Sunday. I’d have thought they’d be gathered for meetings and such. It sounds like they did a bit of that in the evening. Sermons in those days were long. Our TikTok addled brains would have exploded all over the prairies at the length of them. We’ve got a fine clerk telling the story though. I imagine he summed up the hours of preaching with that fine synopsis, “judicious remarks… upon harmony in camp and the carrying of unnecessary things by weak teams.”
Missing some of the story? Catch up.
Lakeland Circuit Review: Gorgeous, Gritty, and Worth It
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I’ve been thinking about that pesky interview question, “what would you say is your biggest weakness?” As much as I dislike answering this question I love to ask it, or a variation of it. What am I looking for in the answer? I want to know if the person in front of me is self-aware.…
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