204 hr update
(2 days to go)
Core memories.
Talk to a journey runner,
ask them about their trek.
You are guaranteed to see their face change…
their body language become animated…
their lips curl and their eyes brighten.
There is a reason why such an arduous trip,
with its requisite exhaustion,
physical pain,
and emotional suffering
can still elicit such response from these people.
It is because pushing ourselves beyond the reasonable
puts us in a state where unique core memories are formed.
The experiences during a journey run do not always sound unique on the surface…
“I went into a convenience store.”
until the circumstances are revealed…
“I had been walking and crying for 7 hours,
just wanting to quit and have the pain end…
I thought it was another 9 miles to a store,
but I came around a bend and saw the neon lights
of a Shell station…
Emotion flooded through me and I sobbed uncontrollably….
…
It was one of the greatest moments of my life!
I knew that I could make it!”
The experiences can seem mundane and unworthy of all the effort,
but the memories remain vivid, emotional, and cherished
for decades.
The journey runner knows they are putting themselves in vulnerable
situations.
They know it will take them to their breaking point,
they know they will (deeply!) question their choices…
But they also know that they want to live their life
in such a way that they can look back
and feel fulfilled by their efforts.
These self actualized core memories
are absolutely critical to the their happiness and fulfillment.
Right now me and Sandra have to drive up to the Rock.
Matt Cantrell is no doubt going to
(if he can keep his eyes open for a few minutes after plopping down into the thrown!)
share a few of those memories with us.
You can bet,
any time in the next few decades,
if you ask one of these runners about HOTS,
they will have some core memories to tell you about, too.