being bitten by the thru-hiking bug?
I myself had all my plans theoretically laid to go and teach high-schoolers. I still plan on doing this eventually, as I have loved my teaching experiences (long-term sub, student-teaching, etc.), but it is currently on the back burner…much to the dismay of Mom and Dad. Who knows when I’ll end up doing the career thing, but for now its work, save, hike…lather, rinse, repeat. Sound familiar?
Novakaine
Novakaine - i recently posted this on a PCT Yahoo group. I think you might enjoy it. 
hi, my name is freebird. i’m a “repeat offender.” The crime? Not conforming to societal standards…
I plead guilty to the following offenses:
I’m “homeless”
I’m “unemployed”
I’m not married
I don’t have a mortgage
I don’t “have kids”
I “fart a lot”
I’m not too concerned about “hygiene”
I don’t like to “shop”
I don’t like politics
I have never voted
I don’t own a “TV”
I don’t want a “career”
I don’t subscribe to the “american dream”
I don’t like walls and fences
I don’t like being “inside”
I don’t “fit in”
My sentence? 6 months of “doing time” on the PCT.
I’ve done time before… It all started in ‘96 when i first started to reject all of the most treasured values in society. I was sentenced to an East Coast facility known as the “AT”. Its a work camp, kinda like a “hoods in the woods” program with a lot of physical labor… I served my sentence, was put on parole, but i found that i could no longer function in society. Sure, i could play the game, go through the motions, act the part, “dress up”, but i simply didn’t fit in. it wasn’t my “cup of tea.” i never really liked tea anyway. Everything was too fast paced and complicated… It just seemed so insane. money no longer motivated me. i really didn’t want anything that it could buy, other than the basic needs. I didn’t know what to do. I felt trapped & prodded, like a wild animal in captivity. I refused to be domesticated. I was dying a slow death of mundane monotony and routine. The ‘comforts’ and trappings of society were killing me. In desperation, i committed the same crimes and was sentenced to a maximum security facility out West known as the PCT in ‘97. After doing ‘hard’ time for six months, i was again released on parole. I made a valiant effort this time to fit into society… but It was impossible. I was back on the AT in ‘01 & ‘04 and then back on the PCT in ‘05. I guess i’m incorrigible…
freebird
criminal history you’ve got there “freebird.” And that alias doesn’t quite fit, considering how much time you’ve spent “in the joint.” Tell me, were you ever a law abiding citizen or have you been a “career criminal” from the get go?
hmmmmm … it’d be interesting to do a dna or facescan study to see if genetics condemmed you to a life of crime.
Anthology
I am sorry freebird but your line about farting a lot is way too funny to ignore…
There once was a young child who loved to surf the ocean blue and this child also would fart up a blue streak so his mom had to call him “breaking wind” because of these two great assets he had and i would say still maintains to his day…so what was he to do but change his name to freebird!!!:lol :lol :lol
Meadow Ed