Our Walk Together

The hope and the plan for our getaway were really quite simple: to spend some much needed time alone and to have some “extra quiet” moments in which we could spend together.  Such a weekend would be a real joy, and quite frankly, a much-needed antidote to the daily stresses of our busy and hectic lives.

 

We “holed up” in tiny Walland, Tennessee (just outside of Maryville), nestled at the northwestern foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, in Miller’s Cove where the number of cows rivals the total human population! Beautiful river streams and a small pond provide for some minor fishing, and cell phone reception is nearly impossible.

 

It is a spot truly “off the beaten path,” and the property where we stayed in is an old bed and breakfast, with the “roots” of the original family going back to the early 1800’s, as a stroll through the cemetery indicates.

 

Incorporating nearly 4,000 acres, and offering numerous hiking trails and even some paved pathways, one of the real draws for us was the simple ability to be able to literally walk out our door and choose any number of potential hikes each day. Whether it was a simple, casual stroll down to the pond or cemetery, or a more challenging, elevation climbing trail, Laura and I took full advantage, beginning each of the three mornings with a long, extended walk, all the while reveling in the striking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and “soaking up” the early morning mist.

 

For those of you who know me, or who may have observed over the last couple of years: I love to walk. In fact, at some point almost every day, I spend a good hour “out and about.” Oftentimes, in the late afternoons during the week, I can be spotted on campus, walking on our track or in the neighborhood. In some cases, particularly on the weekends--when the rains are too heavy--I have been known to make hundreds of loops in this very gym and along our covered hallways here!

 

Recent studies, interestingly, note that roughly 80% of Americans aren’t getting nearly enough exercise. Good, healthy recommendations are that we should get at least two and a half hours a week of moderate aerobic activity--roughly, 30 minutes, five days a week of brisk walking, for example. Research indicates that only 23% of adults (ages 18-64) are getting that minimum amount.

 

So, besides the physical benefit of walking, the opportunity to get out and “move” is also a very selfish activity. For me, walking is a true joy, and provides a real “release.” In my sojourns, I find that my mind tends to clear and “declutter” itself, allowing for new thoughts, solutions to problems, and fresh ideas to emerge.

 

And luckily for me--particularly--and you (maybe), just that thing happened for me on our getaway weekend; for as Laura and I walked each morning, I began to think about what I wanted to say to you today. Accordingly, my brief advice to you this morning is largely the result of my thoughts generated during those early morning hikes.

 

First and foremost, and without being too “preachy,” let me offer the general advice to take a walk. As I have already shared with you the research, I sincerely hope you don’t become part of that 80%--that is, find time each day to get out and exercise. Whether it’s a 30-minute walk in your neighborhood, a long run on the trail, or participating in your selected sport, make time each day to be active. Get off your phone, step away from the computer, and slide off the couch in front of your tv.

 

In my visit back home to Tennessee, my own 85-year-old father reminded me that even in his old age, and with his challenges physically, one of the key ingredients to overall happiness is, in his words, “to keep moving”!

 

As we begin this year and you go forward on your Palmer Trinity journey, here are a few thoughts to help guide you on your new adventure. And, If you’ll allow for me to use “the walk” as our metaphor today, let me expand upon the concept…

 

 

Today you take the “first step” of your walk with Palmer Trinity. For many of you, exactly 160 of you (our new students), this is the very first day of life at Palmer Trinity. This journey is not simply a three, or four, or even seven-year journey. No, it’s a lifelong one. You are here for a reason, and you have all the “right stuff.”

 

Go for it!

 

As the great writer and thinker Henry David Thoreau encourages each of us, “If a man constantly aspires, is he not elevated? Did ever a man try heroism, magnanimity, truth, sincerity, and find that there was no advantage in them?”

Set your goals for the year, and set them high. Stretch your imagination, your heart, your soul.

In doing so, be willing to take the risk necessary to achieve greatness. As you aim for the stars, remember, too, that you’ll have to...

 

 

Don’t be afraid of the unknown. While it’s certainly normal to be a bit anxious, and be a bit wary, try not to be fearful of what you don’t fully know.

In “our walk”, we’ll certainly encounter barriers and detours. The bridge may be closed, the path may be a blind one, or the road may fork.

 

Don’t panic!

 

In fact, try to take special notice of the sights and the discoveries you make along the way. Savor the experience: the twists, the turns, the unexpected---it’s all part of the fun!

 

As noted thinker Margaret Mead advises us, “We are continually faced with great opportunities brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems.”

 

Don’t despair or become too frightened of what you don’t know. In fact, be curious as to “what’s around the bend.” Just what lies ahead? Well, who knows? You might just find a “Welcome Porch” or a warm, cozy Inn waiting just for you! You’ll have to adapt, be flexible, and find new routes on your walk. But I am confident, you will end up where you need to be.

 

Finally, and, most importantly...

 

 

Remember that here at Palmer Trinity School, we are inspired by a greater Mission...It’s posted in every classroom and throughout our campus.

 

It reads as follows: “Palmer Trinity is an Episcopal school dedicated to promoting academic excellence and inspiring students to lead lives of Virtue, Humanity, and Spirit.”

 

We also hold true to nine Guiding Principles. You may have spotted those around the Entrance Drive of the South Campus, or posted with our Mission Statement. These principles are:

 

 

You’ll be learning and discussing all of these throughout the year, but remember, too, that you are you, and as the great Helen Keller so clearly states, “Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”

Trust your instincts, and rely on your own integrity---your ability or “quality of being honest,” your” moral uprightness”, as defined.

 

You don’t have all the answers, but your core instincts will serve you well. Trust your “gut”, for as the great artist Vincent Van Gogh reminds us, “Conscience is a man’s compass.”

 

Finally, one last thought before we leave today and celebrate the opening of a new Academic Building, and the advent of the what promises to be an outstanding school year--please remember to...

 

 

You have been given a wonderful gift. You are a Palmer Trinity Falcon, and you are loved and supported fully by an entire community. Your teachers, your advisors, are here to help you and guide you. Please take a moment tonight, and also say “thank you,” or offer a kind word of love or praise to the family member or individuals who have made this opportunity possible--whether it’s mom, dad, a grandparent or family friend.

 

Drop a personal note, give an extra hug, or even better, show that person directly just how much you love and appreciate them, and just how grateful you are to be at this school, at this very moment.

 

As you may know, you are in the minority, in terms of actual numbers, as far as school enrollment goes: only 2% of school age young adults have the opportunity to be in an independent school. It is a great privilege, and thus, you have a great responsibility in being here.

 

As the legendary businessman and founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton encourages us, “Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free--and worth a fortune.”

 

And, so, dear students and colleagues, we begin our walk together, TODAY.

 

Remember to Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Yourself, and Be Grateful!

 

Wonderful things are in store for you. Our Palmer Trinity journey is now underway.