The end of the trail

 


What does this sign (seen on a trail in Sedona, AZ) convey to you?
- forbidden to continue, don't even try
- danger ahead, do not continue
- you've arrived, nothing else to see
- proceed at your own risk
- fun challenges ahead, get excited
Probably, at any given time and location, it could mean any of the above, or something else. Hard to tell for sure!
To some extent, the message depends on who you are, what you know, and what you are capable of. I have friends who view trails as unnecessarily restrictive and limiting, and who delight in exploring all kinds of unmapped and unvisited terrain. I have other friends who would never DREAM of hiking somewhere that is "off-trail." Others of us generally try to stick to trails, especially in areas frequented by more hikers; but we also revel in occasionally carefully exploring more "unlimited" areas.
There's an Christian folk hymn that uses this phrase to talk about an eventual heavenly destination:
"When eternity calls,
Away we’ll sail.
Paradise is waiting
At the end of the trail."
I'm a bit skeptical of that kind of thinking. I don't like to think that adventures, growth, learning, progress, and experience just "come to an end" when "eternity calls." But if we talk about "the trail" being our mortal experience, then the end of the trail may fit one of those earlier interpreatatons about what additional fun might be ahead!
I #GiveThanks for the trails in life that help me find my way and avoid dangers while I work towards my desination. But I also appreciate those areas where trails are not as apparent and where I have the chance to explore on my own - physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually.

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