A Thousand Steps

“Life is a cycle, Living is not." -Me

Recently, my friend Matt and I hiked a trail in the Dandenong Ranges called the Thousand Steps, a name that is more likely poetic than fact. The trail, as its name suggests, is a little over a kilometer in length and consists most entirely of steps that delve ever upward into the hills. The climb is rather rigorous considering its relatively short distance. It is said to provide a small glimpse of the physical effort taken by the Australian Soldiers in 1942, during the Japanese invasion.

Whether the rigor of the climb was brought on by the difficulty of this particular Kokada* trail, by the heat of the day, or by my dwindled level of fitness, is of little value (I suspect it was a combination of all three). However, the lessons the trail imparted were of great importance. Much of living is learning the lessons within, around and beneath each experience. However deeply we explore each new experience determines what we shall get from this life.

There are a certain set of muscles one uses when climbing a steep incline that are very rarely used in every day life. If I were a biologist, or some sort of medical practitioner, I would name them for you, but alas, I only have a rudimentary knowledge of the human body. Given the comforts of our age, these upward motions, these muscles, are not overly necessary for daily movement. Thus, they fall into disuse, and so when facing a new challenge or hardship before us, such as climbing a thousand, near vertical steps, it is more than a little difficult to overcome them. All because of a simple lack of muscle. Most of us go through our entire lives never exercising these muscles, simply because they are not a necessity for living. Lest we forget, not all muscles are made up of up tissues and fibers.

This particular trail I am traveling has brought an awareness of many new or unused muscles. The life I was living before fit well enough that I had no desire or need to use them, and no overwhelming reason to build them either. Setting myself on this track has forced me to. Many of these muscles revolve around building, such as building relationships, or building a home, building networks, or building courage. Others are more personal, patience, compassion, kindness. Some were hidden behind friends and family, and comfort, and many were because I was never in a situation that required their use, until now.

It has been difficult training, retraining, and building these muscles of mine, both used and unused, both physical and abstract. I can most certainly tell you that I have a long way to go, but I've started working them out. After all, I have already taken the first step, and as the trail has taught me, it's just a matter of continuing to move one foot in front of the other, not being ashamed to pause for a breather when needed.

It is a matter of coincidence, and humor, that upon arriving at the top, Matt realized that we had not even been climbing the thousand steps, but another, slightly longer, though equally as steep, trail. It is nice to know that there is more than one path to whatever destination we seek.

We hiked down the thousand steps.

*Kokoda - Referring to the four month battle of the Kokoda track between the Japanese and Allied forces.