"I'm afraid I've lost touch with my old friends. The greatest friend I ever had was as school, a fellow named Smith. It's odd you should mention it, because I was thinking of him today, though i haven't seen him for seven or eight years. he was on the science side with me at school, a clever fellow though a little weird, and he went up to Oxford when i went to Germany. The fact it, it's rather a sad story. I often asked him to come and see me, and when I heard nothing i made inquiries you know. i was shocked to learn that the poor Smith had gone off his head. The accounts were a bit cloudy of course. Some saying he had recovered again, but they always say that. about a year ago i got a telegram from him myself. The telegram, I'm sorry to say, put the matter beyond a doubt."
"Quite so," assented Dr. Warner stolidly; "insanity is generally incurable."
"So is sanity," said the Irishman, and studied him with a dreary eye.
"It's a shame to joke about such things," Said Inglewood, in his honest, embarrassed way; "the telegram was Smith's illness, not Smith. The actual words were, 'Man found alive with two legs."
This is an excerpt from the book Manalive by GK Chesterton. I have selected Manalive as my trail name for my trek northbound. Trail names are selected by the hiker or given by fellow trail mates. No one knows where/when the tradition was started but it is now expected that hikers have one.
I selected this name for a number of reasons, but the biggest one is that I am carrying that book with me. It is also one of my favorite books. Additionally, when I read the part of the book above, I laughed because I received a similar response when I told people I was quitting my job to hike the AT (short hand moving forward for Appalachian Trail). Finally, being on the trail makes me feel alive! The pains and joys all make this a great experience.
The book is a great read and very short. I'd definitely recommend that everyone read it! My copy is only 127 pages long, so get on it!
~~Manalive~~
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