What's Tony Thinking

A Lovely Autumn Hike

My friend Mike Pierson and I hiked at Mt. Rainier yesterday. What a day! We did the 9 mile hike to “Burroughs Three.” Somewhere along the way Mike took this photo of me on the trail, Rainier rising above.

Being in the presence of such a majestic mountain is humbling. Me small. You big. The words of several psalms came to mind.

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?”

Or Psalm 121, “I lift up my eyes to the hills — from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”

And perhaps paradoxically, that very short Psalm, 131,

“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like a weaned child that is with me.”

As small as one feels in the presence of such wonders, there is a sense that you are in your proper place, in right relation and perspective.

I am the very tiny figure atop the first peak in the second photo. As I say, “It’s all perspective,” and this one is about right.