The Unsteady But Persistent Path

The Unsteady But Persistent Path
            “Have a goal. Stick to the path. If you’re determined, you will reach your goal.”
            Ha! Sounds great, but life just isn’t that simple.
            Though those points are true to a degree, it’s unfortunate when people feel like failures because their path to a goal is rough and twisted.
            All of us fall down and have to pick ourselves up again. Failure leads to hard-earned progress.
            For families like ours with one member severely challenged on multiple fronts, it may look like we’re aiming low to others. When things are tough, our goal may be to just survive the day, or the hour.
            Our younger son is autistic, epileptic, and has limited language ability. Unpredictable behavior and multiple allergies can throw things off track in an instant. He also suffered such extreme sensory overload for a stretch that he could barely leave the house. (See the Home page.)
            The thought that we’d ever go on an overnight trip seemed like a joke. Being away from home is hard for our son, and thus for the rest of us. Spending time in public can also be exhausting when your family member doesn’t match social expectations.
            Despite that, with strong encouragement and logistical support, we managed to go on a one night trip, and then another. Then we did a two night trip away.
            Gaining the ability to go on short family trips wasn’t easy, but we persisted through ups and downs, and learned to laugh at the trouble spots.
            Fall on your face, pick yourself up, and try again. You might discover that you’ve been enjoying things along the way, despite the challenges.
            This week’s Hike Notes take readers to Asilomar State Beach. This one mile stretch of beach on the western side of Pacific Grove, CA offers stunning views along wooden paths and sandy walkways.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos! Check the Home page for the broader background story.
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 76: Asilomar State Beach