I'm posting this blog a day late. I needed time to think about friends and hurt feelings.
Often, we take our friends for granted. We sometimes forget that they cannot read our minds, or know our intentions. Sometimes an innocent comment or decision results in hurt feelings.
From the time I decided to try to train enough to be able to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, the hiking buddies (Patti, Debbie and I) have been so excited. We've been gathering gear. We've talked about food and practiced using our stoves. We've been wearing our packs and pushing our bodies in order to be able to go on longer hikes, including overnight hikes.
We all talked earlier in the year about where we should go on an overnight training hike. Patti suggested that we hike somewhere near Lake Chelan, and suggested that her brother (who lives there) could help plan a hike. Unfortunately, he was unable to help plan it and so we put the idea on the back burner.
Since no one else brought forth any ideas, I suggested that we ought to meet at our cabin and hike from there up Deep Creek and camp at the lakes near Noble Knob. The hike would have to take place late enough so that the snow would be melted. I picked the second weekend in July and we all agreed that we would set aside that weekend for our camp out.
As it turns out, Patti mentioned several weeks ago that she is planning on taking vacation the first week in July. She asked if anyone would want to plan something during that time. Well, that struck a chord for me, because that is the week that I typically take vacation too. So, last week, I got the idea that we should go to Lake Chelan and hike there. The weather usually is much better and I have always wanted to hike some of the trials there. The plan developed and my wife, Valorie, even became a part of the plan. She wants to take the boat to Stehekin and stay for a couple of days there while we hike the Lake Shore trail.
What I didn't realize was that this overnight hike would take place several weeks before our "hiking buddy" camp out near Noble Knob. And to make things worse, Debbie could not get time off to join us.
I feel like such a bozo because I didn't realize this when we made our plans for Lake Chelan. And now, Debbie has hurt feelings. I understand that, and it was my mistake. I know we all wanted to camp out together to use our gear for the first time. And now that isn't likely to happen.
I have thought and thought about how to fix this, but with Debbie going car camping next weekend, and with Father's Day weekend after that, we really don't have much of an opportunity to all do something together. I am so sorry.
I am hoping is that our friendship is strong enough to overcome my insensitivity. My dad always said, "there is always a little good in everything." Perhaps I need to look harder and longer to see it in this instance.
Here are a few pictures from our walk today, before Debbie expressed how hurt she was.
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| Patti and Debbie |
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| Crossing the Ladder Bridge |
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| Bob and Debbie |
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