engagge the four wheel drive

one hot summer weekend, i went out hiking with my friends in the al kut desert of the al haza regi0n. we usually go out every weekend kapag walang pasok or if we are n0t busy with something. para makapag b0nding, makapag unwind sa isang linggong pagod sa trabaho, or simply for past time, pampatanggal ng homesick sa mahabang paghihintay na matapos na ang tila walang hanggang kontratang binubuno namin dito sa disyerto. s0metimes, we go on fishing in salty desert lagoons in al uyon, or just make fun driving in the desert making a point to notice things like sheeps and camels grazing on what was left of the desert grass in summer heat, watching desert birds flying here and there or laughing on cars with funny license plates.
para maiba naman, naisipan kong yayain silang umakyat sa bundok. mountain hiking. its a lot of fun and a good exercise as well. we started the trip with fun, singing, dancing, cooking and eating, telling funny stories and playing little games like "truth or consequence" or solving brain twisting riddles. early on friday morning, we climbed the mountain and hiked the trails for few hours. by noon, we were all too tired to endure the hike, adding to the fact that the summer heat in the desert is almost unbearable at mid day...when the group paused to get rests in a shade, i encourage them by saying "come on guys! engage the four wheel drive, and let's finish the hike!" they then get tougher, and we finish the effort in no time...

in the evening, while i was sitting in the canopy, one of the boys approach me and said, "sir let me interpret the phrase "engage the four wheel drive". of course i was delighted, and listened as he was giving his explanati0n "we humans are made of outside and inside, body and spirit" i nodded in aggrement. he went on to say "both body and spirit works simultaneously to support each other, but when we exert extra effort, the body starts first until all its strengths were depleted. it is then that the spirit kicks in and provide the additional energy needed to ensure the survival of the body."
i was delighted by his explanati0n, but i was laughing unc0ntrollably. quite embarrassed by my reaction, he asked me why i was laughing out loud. i said, "your explanation is so bright and interesting but all i meant by that was i wish i brought my SUV up in the mountain, engage the four wheel drive and get the hike over with, sitting comfortably in my car so that i do not have to suffer trekking on foot with all the heat, the sands and dust in the desert filling up my lungs."

as i lay down on my bed that night i began to realized, for almost 2 months, i was in a tough battle with hematocytosis, a disease of the blood. a point was then made clear to me! "we all have an inner strengths which we can use when needed. that inner strength does n0t only activate our survival instincts when necessary but also makes us pioneers and successful human beings."

then i smiled again and sighed...

...there are always different ways of rationalizing things