--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: weren’t things that blazed dully past…" description: "\"“weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/cheryl-strayed-605_time_weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-th_2256527.png" --- # weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long… ![“weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and screeched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the trail one step at a time and the click of my ski…” quote by Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/cheryl-strayed-605_time_weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-th_2256527.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/cheryl-strayed-605_time_weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-th_2256527.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/cheryl-strayed-605_time_weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-th_2256527.png) > ““weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and screeched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the trail one step at a time and the click of my ski pole. The PCT had taught me what a mile was. I was humble before each and every one.”” [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The trail teaches humility through slow, sensory experiences that reveal the true effort of each mile. **In simple terms:** Walking reveals how hard each mile truly is. Key Takeaway Embrace the present moment on long journeys. Themes humility nature endurance mindfulness Mood contemplative inspirational Type memoir motivational When to use this quote - hiking - long-distance running - personal growth - spiritual retreats Key Concepts existential physical challenge Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on breath change your perception of distance? - What small sensations anchor you during fatigue? A Different Perspective Physical hardship can cause injury or burnout if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hitting Trail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitting-trail-5175593/) [Pct Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pct-taught-5175595/) [Things Blazed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-blazed-5175596/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trail/) [Trail Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trail-step-5175594/) ## Related quotes > [Every time I set foot on that trail, I feel grateful for the PCTA for doing the work it does to protect and preserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/every-time-i-set-foot-on-that-trail-i-feel-grateful-for-the-pcta-for/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The thing about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, the thing that was so profound to me that summer—and yet also, like most things, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-thing-about-hiking-the-pacific-crest-trail-the-thing-that-was-so/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“How fabulous down was for those first minutes! Down, down, down I'd go until down too became impossible and punishing and so relentless that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/how-fabulous-down-was-for-those-first-minutes-down-down-down-i-d-go/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > ['The Trail' on PC is far more challenging by nature. The flow of the game is completely changed, because I think that's what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-molyneux/the-trail-on-pc-is-far-more-challenging-by-nature-the-flow-of-the/) [Peter Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-molyneux/) > [In a word I was a pioneer, and therefore had to blaze my own trail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/major-taylor/in-a-word-i-was-a-pioneer-and-therefore-had-to-blaze-my-own-trail/) [Major Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/major-taylor/) > [“Leaf, branch, vine, bramble. The rush of air in my ears. The rapid-fire scuffscuffscuff of my shoes on the trail. Shards of blue sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-yancy/leaf-branch-vine-bramble-the-rush-of-air-in-my-ears-the-rapid-fire/) [RIch Yancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-yancy/) > [Some games work well as straight patches, but 'The Trail' wasn't one of those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-molyneux/some-games-work-well-as-straight-patches-but-the-trail-wasn-t-one-of/) [Peter Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-molyneux/) > [With our blogs and tweets, digital cameras, and unlimited-gigabyte e-mail archives, participation in the online culture now means creating a trail of always present,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/with-our-blogs-and-tweets-digital-cameras-and-unlimited-gigabyte-e/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [The toughest trail I ever ran was the Escarpment in the Catskills of New York State. This was an 18-mile race through Rip Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/the-toughest-trail-i-ever-ran-was-the-escarpment-in-the-catskills-of/) [Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/) > [“It had been years since Xan last walked this trail. Centuries, really. She shivered. Everything looked so different. And yet . . . not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/it-had-been-years-since-xan-last-walked-this-trail-centuries-really/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [Our bodies are made to move, and moving down the trail is one of the oldest, natural ways people have used their bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pharr-davis/our-bodies-are-made-to-move-and-moving-down-the-trail-is-one-of-the/) [Jennifer Pharr Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pharr-davis/) > [The trail of dating sites relying heavily on Facebook is littered with failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/the-trail-of-dating-sites-relying-heavily-on-facebook-is-littered/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [It's the way you ride the trail that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-evans/it-s-the-way-you-ride-the-trail-that-counts/) [Dale Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-evans/) > [“It's like being lost, and coming on an old wagon trail. You don't know where it leads, how long or why it's been abandoned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-ross/it-s-like-being-lost-and-coming-on-an-old-wagon-trail-you-don-t-know/) [Sinclair Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-ross/) > [“The long distance hiker, a breed set apart, From the likes of the usual pack. He’ll shoulder his gear, be hittin’ the trail; Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-eberhart/the-long-distance-hiker-a-breed-set-apart-from-the-likes-of-the-usual/) [M.J. Eberhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-eberhart/) ## More by Cheryl Strayed > [“She understands that attention is the first and final act of love, and that the ultimate dwindling resource in the human arrangement isn’t cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/she-understands-that-attention-is-the-first-and-final-act-of-love-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The most terrible and beautiful and interesting things happen in life. For some of you, those things have already happened. Whatever happens to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-most-terrible-and-beautiful-and-interesting-things-happen-in-life/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Of course you want someone special to love you. A majority of the people who write to me inquire about how they can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/of-course-you-want-someone-special-to-love-you-a-majority-of-the/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [It's still true that literary works by women, gays, and writers of color are often framed as specific, rather than universal, small rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-still-true-that-literary-works-by-women-gays-and-writers-of/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [My whole life sort of ended when my mom died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/my-whole-life-sort-of-ended-when-my-mom-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“And you have to do it no matter what is true. No matter what is hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/and-you-have-to-do-it-no-matter-what-is-true-no-matter-what-is-hard/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Don’t listen to those people who suggest you should be “over” your daughter’s death by now. The people who squawk the loudest about such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/don-t-listen-to-those-people-who-suggest-you-should-be-over-your/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“. . . there was the actual doing it, quickly followed by the grim realization of what it meant to do it, followed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/there-was-the-actual-doing-it-quickly-followed-by-the-grim/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The sky didn't wonder where it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-sky-didn-t-wonder-where-it-was/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [He was the most ordinary man in all the world, and yet in her memory he'd become luminous, like the prince in a fairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/he-was-the-most-ordinary-man-in-all-the-world-and-yet-in-her-memory/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Love is our essential nutrient. Without it, life has little meaning. It's the best thing we have to give and the most valuable thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/love-is-our-essential-nutrient-without-it-life-has-little-meaning-it/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“I never believed the boys were angry. I believed they were hurt and anger was the safest manifestation of their sorrow. It was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-never-believed-the-boys-were-angry-i-believed-they-were-hurt-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“It’s wrong that this is required of you. It’s wrong that your son died. It will always be wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-wrong-that-this-is-required-of-you-it-s-wrong-that-your-son-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Your ultimatum is simple. It’s fair. And it’s stating your own intentions, not what you hope theirs will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/your-ultimatum-is-simple-it-s-fair-and-it-s-stating-your-own/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“We aren't poor," my mother said, again and again. "Because we're rich in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/we-aren-t-poor-my-mother-said-again-and-again-because-we-re-rich-in/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) [Explore all 450 Cheryl Strayed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## More Time quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [Intel has a very complete process that I go through any time I want to sell that ensures I have no insider information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/intel-has-a-very-complete-process-that-i-go-through-any-time-i-want/) [Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) [Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/) > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“It was about damn time something happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-was-about-damn-time-something-happened/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) [Browse all 215,255 Time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and screeched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the trail one step at a time and the click of my ski pole. The PCT had taught me what a mile was. I was humble before each and every one.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cheryl Strayed" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-they-were-long-intimate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Time" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-they-were-long-intimate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/cheryl-strayed-605_time_weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-th_2256527.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/cheryl-strayed-605_time_weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-th_2256527.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/cheryl-strayed-605_time_weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-th_2256527.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt…” — Cheryl Strayed", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cheryl Strayed", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“weren’t things that blazed dully past....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-they-were-long-intimate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/weren-t-things-that-blazed-dully-past-they-were-long-intimate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```