I decided to go for a walk for a couple of hours & darn it, I wasn’t even going to let the possibility off rain stop me. I felt like I was a real trooper, fighting through the elements to achieve the ultimate goal.Livingston, Scott, Hillary, and Goldsmith, the great explorers of the world.
When I made it to the Salisbury crags I went up the steep way. It was a real effort, sliding all over the place like a bowling ball on a well oiled lane, but I did it. I got to the top (and almost had a coronary) and the marvelous view was before me. Then came the wind, soon followed by a few drops of water, which was in turn replace by a downpour, which eventually settled down to a light but consistant rain. This was what it was all about.
I was disturbed from my pleasant little reverie by a passing jogger and his dog. Another brave explorer, like so many sledders through the arctic he was battling on. As I made it to the other side of the crags, to the foothills of Arthur’s Seat, I passed a couple of old ladies happily walking in the rain with their pets too… Um, embattled old missionary women, steeling themselves against the elements mayby? Then came the family. Husband and wife laughing and smiling, the two pre-teen kids running along and powering up the mountain. OK, no explorer comparisons for them.
The Scots are a hardy people. Summer is summer to them & it appears that a rainy day doesn’t get in the way of that. During my walk home I passed people practicing their golf on what looked more like a pond than a putting green, there were groups playing ultimate frisbee, soccer and tip football. There were people everywhere! Here I am battling the elements, pioneering a path through the Scottish wilderness, and i was overtaken by a 9 and a 6 year old!
As I continued my walk home, I could no longer maintain the lie. How was I supposed to inspire myself amongst such robust people. Then it came to me. I stopped by at a nice looking pub and sat down to a pint or two of beer. Here I was, the grizzled traveller, getting out of the elements & getting into a guiness. Scottish men, blue collar workers & suits alike, huddled around the bar, preparing themselves for the precipitous passage home.
I’d done it, I’d found my little illusion again, and it involved beer. Inspiration indeed!