Erin Wolf

(ambiance for the story: https://youtu.be/Q86OWDz8uOI )

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Many years ago, there was a brave adventurer. He and his friends were neither renowned nor unknown. Tales of their exploits had slowly spread around them. People began to look twice when he and his group passed by, commenting in hushed whispers, "Where do you think they're going today?" or "What will they do this time?".

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The young adventurer was the leader of his little band of explorers. Each had their own area of expertise. Nicholas always had a few knives, ropes, and matches on him as well as being the group's hunter and tracker. Eddie was young but he and Samuel's interest in ornithology made them both the bird experts of the group. Melody, Sarah, Allie, and Lyra were all hard workers, with Lyra being an expert in all things amphibian.

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Their leader, Erin, was trained in first aid and always had a gadget or two handy from knives to tools and flashlights too as well as a medical kit in his pack.

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Erin's passion and enthusiasm for exploring the world was what brought this little group together. His charisma and energy drove them to seek more out of every experience.

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On this day in particular, the gang happened to be standing a mile in the sky. Yes, a mile high. The bridge they stood upon swung gently in the mountain air and mist blew through the gaps between the rails. The sun was at their side and it cast a shadow of Erin and his troop onto the mountainside, leaving a larger than life image of the adventurers as they continued their climb to the top.

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These adventurers had grappled with snakes, tracked down bears, sank waist-deep into swamps, crashed through bramble-filled bushes, and even took their meals together in the midst of a winter storm, their fingers freezing as they pieced together their sandwiches by hand.

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As time went on, their fame grew, and soon people they did not know would come up to them inquiring as to whether or not they were part of "that" group.

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From hiking in the black of night with naught but the light of the overhead lighting to guide them to the highest mountain peaks to the rough and winding white water rapids, Erin and his crew grew bolder, stronger, and more daring. Their quest for knowledge, genuine camaraderie, and a deep

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appreciation of the natural world around them built bonds of friendship that they would not soon forget.

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This photo was taken from that bridge, a mile high in the sky, as Erin and his friends set out on one of their many adventurers together, oh so many years ago.

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One may wonder what became of that band of adventurers from those days...but that, my friends, is a story for another time!

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I honestly am not sure.

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I am amazed that, despite everything that happened, I am not trying to throw myself out the nearest high-rise window or play chicken on the nearby rail line with the next cargo train, ya know?

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Also, life's just been...really, really weird the last few days...

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I suddenly found a place that kind of felt like home...and two people that feel more like family than friends.

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Maybe i'm just crazy.

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Maybe i've really gone and lost it and after losing everything all over again, i'm just so empty that it's not even hitting me like it used to...

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I really don't know.

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Should I be proud of all that happened? How does one reconcile the dichotomy of all that occurred over the last few months?

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I should be proud for being strong or something, right? But is this what I'm meant to be doing? Is this what being strong is?

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I'm not really sure.

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I am honestly very, very confused right now about who I am and what I am actually doing with my life.

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So for the virtues:

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I value wisdom because one needs not intelligence to be wise, but wisdom can affect all you encounter. It is the key to living a happy life, I think. Wisdom can, in fact, lead to happiness and fulfillment.

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Justice. I picked this next because I see myself as a proponent of just reactions. That is why I tell others that what you show me is what you get back, after a fashion. If choose to be rude, insensitive, and asshole-ish, don't expect me to cozy up to you and sing your praises. If you respect me, are polite, and courteous, that is what you will see in return.

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Courage. I find courage admirable and I do my best to respect those who find the courage to come to me seeking honest help with problems that scare or make them uncomfortable asking others. I seek courage in my own life as well; the courage to face my problems, my life, my fears, and my dreams.

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Self-restraint is lowest on the scale for me because I guess I struggle with self-restraint but not in the conventional sense? I restrain myself in regards to my feelings, my needs, my wants, and how open I am with others. Yes, I have the usual struggles, but that's not what made me rank this the way I did.

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