I left my car in the small dirt parking lot at the trailhead of Beuna Vista Peak. Just a short one-mile trail but most of it uphill, at least on the way to the top. The trail is mostly dirt with a few small obstacles and is nothing particularly scenic. The farther and higher you go, the trail crosses some low boulders and small boulder fields. There is just enough to whet your appetite to see the view from the top. Aside from a few burned out trees and some leaves already turning colors for fall, Small flowers and here and there, you see a small lizard scamper across your path. It is just you and your thoughts. No phone signal here. Unplugged can be a very good thing. After about 30 minutes or so of walking because you stopped to take some pictures, you reach the summit.

The view is grand. If you are like me, your camera is working as fast as it can. And so is your mind. The easiest way for me to tell you about the view is to show you.

Not that you won’t ever want to go up there on your own, but you will want to feel the cool mountain breeze and feel the warm sun.  And there is all sorts of treasure you can find up there.

The treasure one finds will depend on you, of course. There is no pot of gold or silver waiting for you to take it home but treasures of the lasting kind. Here’s the treasure I found.

On the way up and then on the way down, I noticed all the footprints on the trail. Maybe I should say in the trail because the footprints left an impression. Some you could see the whole footprint and tell the sole of the shoe and others were barely visible because they had been stepped on so many times. But even those almost unseeable prints left a permanent impression on that trail.  Who knows what kind of shoes they were?  Maybe some people were even in bare feet. But over time the trail is changing. Almost imperceptibly but it is changing.  What will the trail be like in ten years? I don’t know. How many more will hike up to the top? I don’t know that either. I do know each hiker will leave a mark, an impression that will last forever.

So it is with us. Each thing we do or whatever we see leaves a lasting impression. And whatever your beliefs, to be the best person you can be we should be careful about what we see or what we do. Everything will make a first and lasting impression on you. For me, it is about being the best person I can be with God’s help. Let’s think about what goes into us then and be a little more choosy.

The old computer adage is also true. Garbage in, garbage out. Now we if we are watching what goes in, then only good will come out. We should watch out for the impressions we leave on others. Getting mad, throwing fits or just being a horrible person will leave an impression. Just not the right one. Kindness, smiling and helpfulness will make the lasting impression you want. With God’s help, that’s the impression we should leave for everyone we meet. So watch where and how you step.