Random thought - Pounding dirt

Its a beautiful day in spring, perfect weather for a hike through sleepy Hadano, a town a couple of stops out from yugawara near hakkone. I'm doing some community work by cleaning up a hiking trail, and as I look over the scenery with the cool wind in my face I am reminded of a phrase a good friend of mine once said, to pound some dirt in every country that you visit. Of course, when he said it, I was tired, grumpy, and overheating while hiking up Mt. Rinjani in Indonesia. I really didn't give it much thought back then, but now, a little older and more seasoned (ala steak style) I can appreiciate his sentiment. Doing something for the sake of the experience, even when said experience is labourious and wearisome. That sort of thing has increased in value in my mind, elevated from 'stupid' to 'understandable'. Maybe its what happens as you get older. I've also recently have taken an interest in musicals, something else that I would have scoffed at just a couple of years prior. Quite accordingly, my interest in snowboarding has slowly waned. I've gone down powder bowls at terminal break neck velocity, and made jumps. Basically reaching the level where I know I cannot progress any further without risking major injury. My joints are not what they used to be. That's probably why Golf is such a great sport. The effective shelflife of the game, (in so far as how much of your life you can play it) is the greatest of all. You can play it from teens until you are well into retirement. Improving all the way. And in what other game can 3 generations play against each other and have a fair game? Only golf.