We were all told as children to stay out of the mud. Wash your hands. Take off those dirty shoes before you get the carpet (floor) dirty.
But, you know what? As adults, we need to remember to play in the mud. To have some fun. To have some adventures.
I think it is particularly older as we age to get out and remember what it is like to “play in the mud.” When I hiked the Homestead Challenge portion of the Rachel Carson Trails Challenge on June 23rd, I knew that I would get muddy. It had rained the week before and I had been on those hills plenty of times to know what they would be like. Just to ensure that there would be plenty of mud, it poured that morning. About 10 minutes after we started our 18-mile trek.
What I didn’t know was how much fun I would have. I could have bemoaned the mud, but as we slipped, slided, away, we laughed. We slid and joked. We had fun. At the end of the day, we were muddy messes. I pondered the state of my shoes – pitch or try to clean? (For the record, I soaked, scrubbed and salvaged them – I was kind of attached to them at that point.)
Don’t forget to get out and play in the mud sometimes. It will make you laugh.
