That One Spot

That One Spot

I think it is safe to say that the world is a crazy place these days. It seems like every time you flip on the news there is some new “worst thing to ever happen”. It is hard to not let the negative energy seep into even the most hardened soul. For me, hopefully for others as well, there is that one spot. The one place I can go to recenter my world. To bring balance back to the force if you will.

Finding That One Spot

That one spot is different for everyone. It can as big or as small as it needs to be. For some it is the top of a mountain, others getting to a certain state. Some it is a waterfall, others an open field. It could even be any lake in the world. The important part is that one spot is yours. Even when others are sharing your spot, it is still yours.

That One Magical Spot

That one spot has some sort of magical or mystical powers. The moment you get there it begins. You may not even feel it happen. Slowly at first the breaths come easier. The shoulders drop an inch or two, no longer needing to carry the invisible burden. Next, the ground under your feet turns from hard rock or dirt to pillows under your feet. The sweat stops dripping from your brow. Sunlight in softer. The sky is a deeper blue, the grass a richer green.

Without even noticing your whole body has been taken over by this feeling. Each sense rebounding to their full potential, no longer having to be at high alert. Your heart beats in unison with the shaking of a branch and you become one with that one spot.

That one spot isn’t really magic. The next person may stand there for days on end and never get the feeling. The magic is what happens when YOU get to that one spot. At the same time the spot is only magic if you let it in but you won’t know until you find it.

That One Spot for Me

I thought I knew that one spot for me. Each time I make it to the outdoors, I feel something completely different as soon as the car is out of sight. Could it be the entire outdoors? Sure, but it can get better! That one spot must have been at Mesa Arch. Dozens of people packed around an arch at sunrise. The arch literally glowing gold was mesmerizing! That had to be it right? Nope, it was amazing but I didn’t have the feeling.

For me there is one spot. I only go to it on certain days. I don’t want to overuse the magic. The trail is a bear. Constant elevation gain. The trail is under a thick canopy and nothing special. Then there is a moment. Gasping for breath, legs on fire I emerge from the tree line to an open view of about a hundred million acres of tree lined hills, valleys, snow capped peaks, and blue skies. Each time I emerge from those trees the feeling starts. Twenty minutes feels like one. The clouds freeze in the sky like I am looking at a painting.

I found that one spot on a really bad day. I was lost and didn’t know which way was up in my life but I knew to keep hiking up this hill for some reason. Nothing told me I would find that one spot until I was there. I melted into the mountainside that first day and every day since. That is the power of that one spot. That is the magic. The bond of nature and soul that can only be fond in that one spot.

More from The Fatman

If you enjoyed this post you may enjoy more of the posts on my Fatman’s Rambling page. Blogs such as “Hiking Alone not Lonely Hiking“, “Winslow, Arizona” and “Screw it, I’m Trying” as well as many others may interest you there. If you have any comments or topics you would like me to cover, feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. Or you can keep the conversation going by following me on any of the below social media platforms.