 Photo credit: SK Lund At the end of June, I will be 90. The number measures years but reveals nothing about who I am or how I live.
And so . . . A few days ago I was hiking up a steep trail and met a couple and their daughter who were coming down. They hadn’t hiked this trail before and asked me about area trails. After explaining how the trails connected, the imp in me said, “I’m in training.” “What for?” they asked. I told them, “After moving to Santa Fe in 2001, a former student wanted to know how I’d like to celebrate my birthday. I said I’d like to do a nice hike. He suggested Nambé Lake. It was so beautiful I decided to do the hike every year. Since then, I’ve only missed one year, when I was recovering from chemo. It’s the best way to celebrate turning 90.” They looked at me with disbelief. I understand. Nambé Lake was not an easy hike 25 years ago and now it’s a hard hike—about seven miles, more than 2000’ of elevation gain, climbing to over 11,000.’ Last year it was harder than the year before. This year? Who knows? I’ve told the two friends going with me it’s okay if I have to turn around before reaching the lake. They both know I’m lying.
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Nancy King is a widely published author and a professor emerita at the University of Delaware, where she has taught theater, drama, playwriting, creative writing, and multidisciplinary studies with an emphasis on world literature. She has published seven previous works of nonfiction and five novels. Her new memoir, Breaking the Silence, explores the power of stories in healing from trauma and abuse. Her career has emphasized the use of her own experience in being silenced to encourage students to find their voices and to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with authenticity, as a way to add meaning to their lives.
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