This is truly a great book, very healing and moving from the initial tedium to the final contemplation of the cover-up. I have seen Yang Liusong's "open space in the north", was shocked by his situation and writing, envied his courage and pace across no man's land, lamented the beauty and life he encountered, and gathered the source of exploration and strength. As an experienced explorer, crossing the Chang Tang is a well-prepared journey, a look and fusion of the whole person immersed in the silent nature, and a sight of the tranquility of the world and transcending oneself. As an ordinary person, for the road that Yang Liusong has traveled, he can only appreciate the beauty and chicness of the piece that is indisputable from the text. When I pick up the travelogue again, it is the love and awe of walking and the desire hidden in my heart, "Out of the Wilderness" is a book written by the author Cheryl Stredd based on her own personal experience, a book of her physical and mental healing, and also a part that awakens some throbbing and open-mindedness in the reader's heart.
Cheryl is a very ordinary young man, working in a restaurant after graduation, dreaming of becoming a writer, going to college without getting a degree, and having to pay off her student loans until she is in her forties. When she was young, her mother chose to separate from her father's violence and lived alone with three children, perhaps it was the lack of father's love that made Cheryl wander casually and unrestrainedly in sex, and personally ruined the happy marriage; the mother was optimistic, but the life of a woman with three children was not easy, fortunately, she met Eddie and shared the load of life. Just ah, life has always forced Cheryl into a desperate situation, when she was twenty-two years old, her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she died of illness before long, which was an unbearable pain for Cheryl, after her mother left, the three brothers and sisters gradually drifted apart, and the stepfather soon began a new life.
The life of falling apart caught Cheryl off guard, although she had a husband who loved her, but the lack of heart could not be filled, so she indulged in the life of a dog and a horse, men, drugs became her way of escape. Paul tried his best to save the marriage, but he was also powerless to return to heaven, never wake up a person who pretended to be asleep, Paul could not soothe a wounded and closed heart, and the marriage that had lasted for four years was completely parted ways. Cheryl lived a long and chaotic life until she happened to see a magazine about the Pacific Roof Trail hanging in front of the store, and suddenly hit a corner of her heart, and after some hesitation, she turned around and bought the book back.
It was a hasty decision, and just a few months after seeing the magazine, Cheryl decided to hike across the Pacific Roof Trail. She did not carry out special training and preparation, but after disposing of the belongings in the house, she purchased the necessary equipment and food, packed them in different categories, and then handed them to her friends to send to the post office set up by the trail according to the time of her travel. So I got on the road and became a backpacker on foot. As a hiker, the backpack is all the belongings, eating, drinking, living, using, emergency, etc. all loaded into the backpack, the result is that the backpack on the shoulders carries half of its own weight, carrying such a "monster" on the road, think it is terrible, not like walking on the ground, climbing, downhill, rugged rocks, hot, cold and so on.
After walking the Pacific Roof Trail set by Cheryl, it is expected to take about 100 days, more than 2,000 miles long, while walking and checking the map, due to natural factors such as snow disasters, you may also have to take a detour, looking for the risk of riding a ride, and so on! This road relies only on feet and backpacks behind him, meet like-minded people, meet curious and kind people, of course, will also meet indifferent, even evil people, after all, a girl walking alone, both admirable and sweaty worry! In fact, when Cheryl first got on the road, she had the idea of giving up, her body really couldn't stand it, carrying such a heavy bag to walk under the hot sun, which was not accepted and understood by ordinary people, we were already accustomed to a comfortable and comfortable life, and we scoffed at the self-abuse of walking to death! Is it sadness or cowardice?
Although the thought of giving up is always hovering in Cheryl's mind, she will still move forward step by step, after all, it is not an easy way to turn back, so she travels very slowly and slowly every day, four or five miles of competition! In fact, the wild hiking for the feet is really tortured, grinding out the blisters are a small thing, Cheryl bought a professional hiking shoes a yard smaller, but think of the crime suffered, nail covers are hard to grind off several. But can not stop ah, at night after taking off the shoes of the flesh and blood blurred, the next day continue to grind, and finally really grind can not stand, just wear the slippers brought with them to climb the mountain. The United States is still very humanitarian, after calling the shoe store to respond, promised to mail a pair of shoes of the same size to the designated place, only to solve the urgent need. In fact, it is still very difficult to imagine the pain of the feet, once ran a marathon, the shoes are somewhat uncomfortable, resulting in the entire congestion of the middle toe turned black, for a long time walking is uncomfortable, and finally wait for the new nail caps growing underneath, the black nail caps are off.
There is also the place behind the backpack close to the buttocks, which is also ground into a rough bark, which is really a test of physical and mental willpower. So hard, there is no good food and drink, with compressed finished or semi-finished products, there is a gas pot, occasionally can make a steaming food. But the desire for food is engraved in the body from the beginning of the hike, and whenever we get the money in the supply station package, we just want to solve the appetite, which is a desire that we cannot imagine in the current society for a long time, and we also lack the instinctive enthusiasm for food. So it's not that the food is not fragrant, but we can't feel the deliciousness, the taste buds are filled with too much food, and the taste is the same as chewing wax, at least it is no longer cherished.
In fact, the main thing about the journey is the person she meets, and Cheryl is almost always walking alone, getting used to it and enjoying it. But occasionally when I meet people hiking on the Pacific Trail, I am still very excited, sharing my stories and experiences, and I am really like-minded. These people before and after encourage each other, giving Cheryl the courage and confidence to go through the whole journey, yes, a person is very tired to persevere, but seeing so many people around them, subtly gave themselves strength, and the more they walked, the more they adapted, after all, the body is slowly becoming stronger and stronger. Just like practicing yoga, a person at home really has no atmosphere and motivation to practice, but as soon as you arrive at the yoga studio, you immediately integrate into the rhythm of practice. People are environmental animals, and many things do not require a careful plan, but immediate action to see a different scenery!
Cheryl, who is walking on the road, will encounter sexual encounters, but this sexual encounter has a different understanding from the previous abuse, it is a chaotic reconciliation with herself, and she knows restraint. After a tiring day of walking, I found an empty place where no one was able to set up a tent and prepare to eat and rest. But at eight o'clock, an elderly couple came over and claimed that the place was paid, paid or left. The money can not be taken out, the tired Cheryl begged to let herself sleep for one night, tomorrow morning to leave, and there is no one in such a big place, even if she also uses her weak emotional line as a girl, she still can't say that the couple's heart is soft. Cheryl had to drag her tired body, pack her bags and hurried into the grassy jungle, the headlights were out of power, almost smeared and walked, afraid to walk for more than twenty minutes, and then set up the tent again. This situation is really wronged to the point of crying!
Another situation was even more thrilling, and it was also in the evening, when a small pool was found to plan to set up a tent on the spot. Not wanting to come from a distance two lost men, extremely thirsty, Cheryl lent them the water purifier to use, not to mention, one of the men looked at Cheryl with a bad heart, circled for a while, and the two hurried away. Cheryl also changed her clothes and washed herself with confidence, and as a result, the man who had a bad idea returned, from the naked provocation of words to the desire to attack, fortunately, at the last moment his companion came and urged him to find a way to leave quickly, he did not want to get lost for too long. After they left, Cheryl frantically packed up her things, picked up her bag and ran off into the distance, until she was exhausted and set up a tent to rest. If anything really happens, it's not a healing journey, it's a hellish journey.
After several efforts and persistence, Cheryl finally came to the "Bridge of the Gods", her destination, this honor is enviable, but the transformation that comes along the way is only deeply felt by her, the grinding of the body, but also the strength of the inner world, the unity of the body and mind, the healing of her is also the unrepeatable beauty along the way, watching the sunrise and sunset, listening to the wind and rain, magnificent mountains and rivers, spreading. Walking alone, often not seeing a person for several days, this deep and silent thinking, is precious, re-dialogue with the mother, combing the relationship with Paul, and his own past behavior, gushing into the heart, crying, shouting, scolding, and then little by little to be released, to find the lost self, to find new strength. The fatigue and experience of the body also release the knots in the heart.
What is depression? It is the powerlessness after thinking too much, and it is the reason for trying to escape from reality. In fact, the best way to treat depression is to go out, to get close to nature, to feel every breath. Pressing the whimsical valve and releasing the body is to act immediately and do something better than think about it. Life is hard, you can't find direction and purpose; life is also easy, like Cheryl, carrying a backpack and taking the shackles of thought to the road and slowly opening it. In fact, walking on the road, many answers are naturally emerging, those problems that once seemed crazy, those realities that seemed to be inescapable, really not terrible, terrible is what you think is hopeless.
Maybe one day, I also have the courage to be a backpacker on a long trip, sprinkle my troubles along the way, watch the sound of flowers blooming, away from the hustle and bustle, away from the crowds, really only myself, with heaven and earth and nature. Cheryl can get back on track and start a beautiful and happy life, you and I can create in this way, not to live up to the years, not to live up to ourselves!