Thoughts about…

Passion or Fanaticism (Part 1):

How Deep Down the Rabbit Hole Should We Dive?

I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to take things too far. That is, when I’m embarking on a new activity or adventure that really piques my interest I go all in. In fact, I often end up restructuring my life, to one degree or another, when pursuing a new passion.

At the same time, I seldom begin a new pursuit with a definitive end-goal in mind. So, to the dismay of my friends and loved ones who watch me dive down that rabbit hole, I usually don’t have an answer for them regarding where the endeavor is leading me and for how long I’ll be gone.

What can I say?

Curiosity often gets the best of me!

There are just certain things in life that I want to experience. But, over the years, I’ve come to understand that in order to really know a thing, you have to surrender to it. You have to immerse yourself in the activity in question. And there’s just no telling how long it’ll take for that curiosity to be sated.

This approach to life reminds me of Tommy Lee Jones’ character in the fictional period movie The Missing. His daughter, with whom he reunites after abandoning years ago, questions his absence. In response, he offers a story about a man who wakes up one morning and sees a hawk fly overhead. The man follows the hawk, never to return. Then, when he sees his wife in the afterlife she asks him why he never came home, to which he replies “the hawk kept flying.”

Pursuing new experiences (and knowledge) with reckless abandon resonates with me. Essentially, this is how I’ve chosen to live my life. As you might expect, though, this approach doesn’t come without costs.

Now, I’ve never shirked familial responsibilities to the extent of the aforementioned movie character. However, in spite of meeting and making so many great friends over the years, I’ve always felt a certain sense of isolation and separateness from everyone as a result of immersing myself so deeply in whatever I do. There’s an opportunity cost to everything in life. Basically, I have denied many opportunities over the years (namely spending time with those friends and loved ones) in pursuit of immersive experiences.

Nobody can do the work for us so, ultimately, we often have to go it alone. Now, I don’t say this in a “me against the world” kind of fashion. Rather, I want to illustrate the fact that we all have the power within us to achieve great things. We just need to come to terms with the fact that most of the responsibility for our successes rests upon our own shoulders. There’ll always be external factors that conspire to knock us off course. But the bottom line is that we each have power enough to accomplish that which we desire.

And for everyone who believes that I go too far in my pursuits, there are probably just as many people out there who think I’m not extreme enough.

So, some questions that I consider soon after deciding that I’m interested in pursuing a new endeavor are…

• How far can I or, do I want to, take this thing?
• What am I prepared to do in order to achieve some sort of goal related to the endeavor?
• How much am I willing to risk in the process?

And, then, at what point do I decide to call it and return home or, rather, climb out of that rabbit hole? Because, after all, nothing can last forever.

*Please note that I had the idea for this essay weeks ago, but it started taking on a life of its own so I’ll have to finish it up in subsequent months. At this point, it’s to-be-determined whether or not I’ll complete it in one or two more installments. In the meantime, enjoy this introduction to the mini-series. Thanks for your patience 🙂

Thanks for being a part of my life. Until next time…

-Jared Manninen

Tahoe Trail Guide is an online resource for hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in the Lake Tahoe region. In addition to trail data, I offer backcountry “how-to” articles and information about the local and natural history of Tahoe. Tahoe Swag is a collection of art and design products I create based on my love of the outdoors and appreciation for Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains.

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