I woke up feeling very apprehensive today for some reason. Or no reason. So in honor of this being the last week of class, i completely blew off class. I filled up my tank, bought an burger king original chicken sandwich and a 32oz diet dr pepper, and hit the road.
I drove up to Larch Mountain and hiked the 5 miles to the top. When I arrived there was a cyclist and (inexplicably) his bike up there as well. We chatted for a bit, he was in town on business and had arrived a day early to bike the gorge. I was going to hang around for a while, but realized after a moment that he wanted the top to himself just as much as I did, so I left. I can always go back.
After that I just drove down the scenic highway, stopping at trails and viewpoints. I cruised at a leisurely 30 mph, and was pleased to discover that everyone in front of and behind me had the same idea. No tailgating. Just rolling down in neutral, trying to see how far you could get before you had to press on the gas again.
Finally I stopped at bridal veil overlook, an easy half mile jaunt to the edge of a cliff overlooking the gorge. And for no real reason I was reminded of a passage I had read in some Carl Sagan book a while back. He had said that when you take into account the sheer chance of a planet forming that could support life, then multiply it by the chance that that planet ever DOES form life, then intelligent life, and finally the chance of anyone one of us being selected to come into being from the great cosmic soup---there is absolutely no reason any of us should be here. Concious existence itself is the most rare and supreme privelege in the universe. I just thought of that, suddenly.
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