Mountains

Today, while hiking in the Appalachian Mountains near Cashiers, North Carolina, I came across a little boardwalk in the middle of the trail. I walked along it, grateful since the ground was wet and spongy. As I followed it I saw something metal glinting in the distance. As I came closer I saw that there was a statue just sitting there in the middle of the brush, warm in the sunlight. I sat there for a few moments, wondering at why someone would place a lovely piece of art in a place so few could enjoy it. What artist would consent to their hard work, long hours, and unique creation being dropped in the middle of a soggy mountainside? I couldn’t imagine that. But then I realized something. Perhaps the artist wanted exactly that. A piece of art only a certain few could afford to enjoy. Like caviar and country clubs, one must be elite and cultured to enjoy the artists work. They must posses the hardiness and audacity to hike the mountain. The curiosity to follow the small boardwalk path. The keen eyesight to notice the statue. And, above all, the cunning to determine the artists intent on placing their work their. I don’t presume to call myself better than any of the countless others who didn’t fulfill these specific credentials; perhaps I am just lucky. Instead I just wish to share the simple story of a girl who went hiking and saw something thought-provoking. So maybe next time you too will take the quiet boardwalk path on the side of a mountain.