The trail is a metaphor for your linear lifespan. Life in the abstract.
Walking or running on a trail is therapeutic, it's brain therapy. So much shit to try and evacuate from an overfull and overworked brain. When you move (walk or run) on a trail, worries and anxiety get moved from the forefront of thought, even if only for a short period of time.
Often It's hard to get started. Thoughts, anxiety and emotions are heavy and can weigh you down. Doubts and regret constantly flash like the blinking clock radio next to your bed after the power went out for a few seconds. It needs to be reset.
When you get to a certain point on a trail excursion it all starts to feel better. The weight gets lighter. Your legs turnover faster. Natural endorphins replace whatever chemicals you happened to be using for optimism.
There are obstacles. Can you get over them? Literally and Psychologically. Some are easier than others. You have to get over them so you can move forward right? Have I turned people and experiences into obstacles? Are they keeping you from continuing along this sometimes rocky and hilly trail. I still feel good today, just really melancholic and warmly sad.
Being mentally overwhelmed, with no real or sustained comfort, can take over your life if you're not careful. You just want to stop, lay down on the moss and sleep- with an empty head for once.
Every once in a while In life you think you've found it; that person, place, thing or situation that was your comfort. Then it's gone as fast as it came. When you lose that comfort, what you feel is more complex and sinister than pain. It's fucking overwhelming and constantly vibrates your soul- like being tied to the front of a freight train going a thousand miles an hour. Getting on the trail again is hard. You've gotta keep going.
Should you leave the trail and head for the paved road? The road is boring and predictable. Over time the road will not challenge you and it wears on your knees, ankles and your soul. Fast cars and distracted drivers will run you down.
There is so much spirituality for one to seek solace in while navigating and exerting yourself on a trail. It's certainly the most powerful mega church ever constructed.