… here in the Adirondacks. And what has come to mind to me are two things. One is a quote that I cannot remember where I read it or who originally penned it.

“The Stone Age did not come to an end for lack of stone.”

Second, sitting here staring up at the mountains does not make me feel small or inconsequential at all. In fact, it renders quite the opposite feeling in me. Those mountains are there to be scaled, to be enjoyed, to be appreciated. Those mountains stand out to me as monuments to the monumental achievement of man – that we are now able to sit down over a warm cup of coffee, safe from bugs, beasts and diseases, and far from starvation, and contemplate how long we plan to rest on top of the peak after having scaled it, and thinking about the tasty, fresh, safe cooked meal waiting for us at the bottom.