The Dream in the Distance

The Dream in the Distance
            Dirt trail underfoot, I stop for a moment to shade the sun from my eyes and look off into the distance. The late afternoon December haze softens the edges of the rolling hills to my left. Beyond the hills rise glimmering buildings of varying heights, a shining city beckoning from afar.
            There are trails in the Marin Headlands which offer views of the San Francisco skyline that remind me of the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz, a movie I watched every year as a kid in pre-streaming, pre-DVD, pre-VHS days when it showed up only as an annual special feature on one of the major broadcasting channels.
            The Emerald City image gave the illusion of being just out of reach. If you just walked a little bit further, you’d reach the goal. And you’d walk further, and it would still be far away.
            That’s how publishing feels. I have many friends who write and like me, have repeatedly banged their heads against the same multi-faceted brick wall which makes finding a traditional publishing deal increasingly difficult in recent years.
            The advice I heard over and over was to keep trying. Nothing will happen if you give up.
            Getting our severely autistic son out on hiking trails improved his and our lives immeasurably. Driven by a desire to share helpful aspects of my family’s experience, I never stopped trying to find an agent or publisher who might be interested in helping me get a book on that theme out.
            I finally found a great agent who guided me in the right direction, and am happy to say that Autism Outdoors: A Guide to Spending Time in Nature will be published by Globe Pequot/Falcon Guides, probably in early 2027. I’ll share more details as the book comes closer to being available, but in the meantime, thanks to the countless readers who have shared their thoughts in response to HikingAutism Insights, and to wonderful people along my publishing path, too many to name here, who have helped me along the way.
            Do you have a dream that looks like an impossible magical place you’ll never get to? Don’t stop trying. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Tennessee Valley Fox Trail, a lesser traveled extension above the popular Tennessee Valley trail that offers some ethereal views.
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This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 42: Tennessee Valley Fox Trail