Thoughts on the The Walk

     Don't know where this is going.  And figure Emil's path may be dead ended.  The idea came from his last post about maybe hiking round trip along the Border Trail to Ely, MN.  Maybe two hundred fifty miles.  Not exactly the Appalachian Trail in length but a tad heavier on the uncivilized side.  Back in the late '60s few hikers traveled those Minnesota miles.  Should something go wrong Emil'd be in what we called in Vietnam, a world of hurt.  Don't know what they called it in WWII but I'm sure they had a phrase for being in a bind.
     I've got a problem.  Me and the Border Trail don't know each other well.  Crossed it, canoe atop shoulders, a few times.  Even walked a half mile of it with my son to see what the trail looked like.  Turned out it was a well marked path in the woods.  I've logged a few dozen miles on the North Country Trail, also in northern Minnesota and from what I've seen, they're similar.  'Course the size of the Border Trail's hills'd put more of a strain on the calves.  Also, I have no idea what shape the trail was in back in 1970.  Or even if it existed.  Doesn't matter.  Should I choose to write of it, it'll be just like I want it to be.  Or maybe exactly how Emil tells me it is as he puffs along.
     Wish I could go along with Emil on the hike.  Maybe I will.  The thought struck me as I wrote the above words that I could.  Why not?  No doubt Archie is gonna come home from Vietnam a little bit screwed up and a week or two up in the Arrowhead country with his uncle might be a fine thing to do.
Gotta think about that.  


                                           The Walk

     Yeah, it's true.  I wrote the words but Emil told me what to write.  What he wanted was a journal much like Learning Curve.  Only he wanted it to sound more like a real journal.  Broken sentences.  Images.  Passing thoughts. And written a whole lot better.  I didn't know that when he started dictating but soon figured it out.  Maybe even got better at it.  This is no long, convoluted tale.  Then, Emil's walk wasn't a cross country trek.  Just an exaggerated ramble.  Like the two long Emil tales that preceded this, "Canada" and "Emil's Cabin", "The Walk" is written for my Grandchildren.  Hopefully they can figure out who Emil and Archie are meant to be.  And, truth be known, it's also written for me.  There's a joy in being presented an idea and fleshing it out.  Don't know how well I do it but somehow, that doesn't matter a whole lot.  Like Emil and his hike I get a little advise, shoulder the pack then see where the path leads me.