I know it’s a little crazy. People ask me what I’m doing. I try to explain about the Highpoints and then the planking. Mostly I get eye rolls and knowing pats on my forearm. Cindy gets lots of understanding sympathetic noises and words of condolence. A few people, however, smile and cheer us on, but even they shake their heads at me. One of the highpoints that has been vexing me is Britton Hill. It is not a difficult hike, but it is a long way from anywhere. It is the highpoint of Florida, but it is very near the Alabama border. It is not on the way to anywhere. For years, I have been trying to figure out a convenient way to get to that spot, but nothing seemed to work.
A few weeks ago, I decided that I was going to have to make a special trip. Then I figured out I could turn it into an adventure. I decided to ‘kidnap’ Cindy for Valentine’s Day. It has not been our tradition, but Southwest was offering some cheap flights. The cheap flights went to Atlanta and New Orleans. They are both about 250 miles away from Britton Hill. I chose New Orleans because it has beignets (small square doughnuts piled high with powdered sugar). We left at lunch on Tuesday, drove to Love Field, flew to New Orleans, drove to Jackson Square, ate beignets, walk around downtown, drove to Mobile, spent the night, left early, drove for 3 hours, planked Britton Hill, did a short hike, drove to Fort Morgan, visited the Civil War fort, took the ferry to Dauphin Island, drove back to the New Orleans airport, flew to Dallas, and then drove home to Athens. We were gone for 36 hours. It was such a blast!
It took my highpoint count to 42. I have plans to do 2 more this summer which will take me to 44. It will leave me with 6 to go. They are a troublesome bunch. They are in the Northwest (WY, MT, ID, OR, WA, AK). They are very high and hard. Some require ropes and technical gear. They all require great sacrifice. I have a map of them all on the wall at my house. I walk past it everyday and I keep asking myself, “Am I willing to pay the price to reach these places?”I have not yet answered the question. I guess the next few years will be my answer.
Our lives really are our answer to what we believe and what we value. People can watch us and they will know with certainty our highest priorities and our deepest desires. What do people see while watching you?