The Walk

The Walk - by Richard Paul Evans

My name is Alan Christoffersen. You don't know me. "Just another book in the library," my father would say. "Unopened and unread." You have no idea how far I've come or what I've lost. More important, you have no idea what I've found.

I'm no one important or famous. No matter. It is better to be loved by one person who knows your soul than millions who don't even know your phone number. I have loved and been loved as deeply as a man can hope for, which makes me a lucky man. It also means I have suffered. Life has taught me that to fly, you must first accept the possibility of falling.

I don't know if anyone will ever read what I'm writing. But if you are holding this book, then you have found my story. You are now my fellow sojourner. If you find something in my journey that will help with yours, keep it.

Some might call this a love story. Those without love will call it a travelogue. To me, it is one man's journey to find hope. There are things that happened to me that you might not believe. There were lessons learned you might not be ready for. No matter. Accept or dismiss what you will. But let me warn you in advance -- which is more than I got -- that what you read won't be easy. But it's a story worth telling. It's the story of my walk. 

This is the first page of a book that Chris bought for me the day before he left on deployment. I hadn't really had time to get into it, as I have been working quite a bit during this orientation period. I was actually supposed to work today as well, but felt my body needed a day to take just to myself. I walked my 6 miles, today. I put my swim suit on and basked in the sun for an hour, and I started this book. I haven't been reading it long, and I am already on chapter 5. So far, it's amazing.

I also copied this same text to Chris, and my plan was to write him a chapter a day. However, I think I will just read it, and pass it to him when we meet for a rendezvous. It will give him something to read on the last legs of his own journey.