By Suzanne “Cricket” Binelli
Every year in January we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is the day we
remember his words, works and sacrifice. As I was fortunate to have the day off, I took some
time to be thankful for the day away from my desk and reflect on the reason I was enjoying the
outside. One of the many beautiful things about hiking is that almost anyone can do it. Here in
Connecticut, we have hard trails, easy trails and handicapped accessible trails. On trail you meet the
lone hiker, the group hikers, the family hikers, dogs, kids, even a guy with a cat. I smile when
groups of teenagers pass me on trail, not on their phones, but talking about something and
enjoying the outside. We have many trails within the bigger cities which gives city kids a chance
to spend time in nature within walking distance. I like that the trail can be considered a ‘great
equalizer’, open and waiting for all of us to enjoy its beauty, challenge our limits and bring us
some peace. A favorite quote from Dr. King is ‘Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope’.
Some of my hikes start with me staring at a mountain (or big hill here) and thinking of the
things that stressed me out or caused me despair throughout the week. Sometimes I push
myself to go outside because 100% of the time I find hope at the top of that hill/mountain. I
would love to hear how you found time to reflect on Dr. King’s inspirational words and if you
discovered a stone of hope this past month.
