Day 20

Day 20: Imagine, if you will, that an out of shape bunny rabbit with a hurt foot asks a mountain lion to go backpacking with her to show her the ropes (he likes her brain and several other things, so he does not eat her). She asks for help mostly because she’s scared, but also, she has a lot to learn from him. He says YES emphatically because climbing mountains is his gift and his passion. They are happy. .
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Week 1: The mtn lion is patient and understanding and goes slow while the bunny struggles. He waits for her at the top of every peak and the bottom of every gap with a smile. She loves to see him waiting for her. She is thankful. .
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Week 2: Things don’t seem to be getting any better for her, but he is getting stronger. She hikes 10-12 hours a day what he could cover in half that time. He prepares everything at camp for her. She feels defeated, useless. Her hair is matted and greasy. She has no makeup to color her albino lashes and brows, nothing pretty or clean to wear, no friends to go “chat it out” with. In the real world, she has worth, but not out here. She has nothing to give. Her body is breaking. His hair waves cooly in the wind. His mountain lion beard is his glory. .
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Week 3: He can’t hide the fact that he’s ready to fly over these mountains. He was made to! She is still struggling. Why is she still struggling?! They start to grow grumbly toward one another. It’s not fun to wait, nor is it to have someone always waiting on you. “I guess we aren’t suited to hike together,” they sadly decide. Their Enneagram 4 brains spiral downward still. They forget to remember that things could get hard out here. .
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Just a few more days together, and then the bunny can be left alone to struggle at her own pace. She is looking forward to it actually, a blessing in disguise. The mountain lion has to return to work, which is more than he can bear...
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They walk miles downhill to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, eat pizza and drink beers by the river. They go to a lodge and eat more snacks and watch a movie where Chris Pratt uses a clicker to train velociraptors. The bunny and mountain lion put their hardships aside for the moment, and rest. #at2019