Water Girl
A forester I am not.
Yesterday, I joined a tree planting activity in the mountains of La Union and did not even meet my quota of 10 seedlings. Yep, a measly 1-0 was all that was required and I barely planted 7. Barely, because the 7th seedling was probably just half submerged when I chose to save my neck instead of saving the watershed.
I have no problem with digging and getting my hands dirty. It's the climbing mountainous terrains I have a problem with. Yesterday's site wasn't extremely hard, but I don't have the feet nor the confidence to go with the steep incline. I noticed that the really good mountain hikers move quickly. They don't negotiate footholds like I do ; you'd think I was discussing the probability of a peace pact with an al-Qaeda chief. I think for some five seconds, I understood how it feels to be completely useless.
I stuck out in the forest like a sore thumb. I felt like a beach ball dejectedly enduring the alien presence of grass and insects. Good thing we went back somewhere near the sea afterwards. It felt good to walk by the shore and to get my feet wet. The waves were strong and the urge to submerge myself was stronger, but I didn't have the necessary wardrobe so I politely declined King Neptune's invitation. Maybe someday I'd learn to swim and I'd find less hesitation to go deep.
The sea scares me to death, but I'll take it anytime. From what I've seen in my amateur probings of its contents, there must be whole kingdoms underneath. Mountains, I'd probably never like climbing, although I love a good top view of the world just as the next person does. But there wouldn't be that awe; I wouldn't have that mystified reverence I can only hold for water.
Death by drowning. I'd be terrified, but I'd be willing. That way, the element I love the most would completely claim me and maybe then, I would finally belong.
Yesterday, I joined a tree planting activity in the mountains of La Union and did not even meet my quota of 10 seedlings. Yep, a measly 1-0 was all that was required and I barely planted 7. Barely, because the 7th seedling was probably just half submerged when I chose to save my neck instead of saving the watershed.
I have no problem with digging and getting my hands dirty. It's the climbing mountainous terrains I have a problem with. Yesterday's site wasn't extremely hard, but I don't have the feet nor the confidence to go with the steep incline. I noticed that the really good mountain hikers move quickly. They don't negotiate footholds like I do ; you'd think I was discussing the probability of a peace pact with an al-Qaeda chief. I think for some five seconds, I understood how it feels to be completely useless.
I stuck out in the forest like a sore thumb. I felt like a beach ball dejectedly enduring the alien presence of grass and insects. Good thing we went back somewhere near the sea afterwards. It felt good to walk by the shore and to get my feet wet. The waves were strong and the urge to submerge myself was stronger, but I didn't have the necessary wardrobe so I politely declined King Neptune's invitation. Maybe someday I'd learn to swim and I'd find less hesitation to go deep.
The sea scares me to death, but I'll take it anytime. From what I've seen in my amateur probings of its contents, there must be whole kingdoms underneath. Mountains, I'd probably never like climbing, although I love a good top view of the world just as the next person does. But there wouldn't be that awe; I wouldn't have that mystified reverence I can only hold for water.
Death by drowning. I'd be terrified, but I'd be willing. That way, the element I love the most would completely claim me and maybe then, I would finally belong.
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