And a Good Morning to You, Sir

by John Westrock on Unsplash

A week into hiking the Appalachian Trail I woke at dawn, rolled up my sleeping bag, and walked into the morning mist.

As I rounded the trail’s first bend, a red-bearded man squatting beside the trail locked gazes with me.

The encounter caught me by surprise, and I blurted out a hasty, hearty, “Good morning!”