During our recent trip to Utah, my wife and I rode horses and mules around Mt. Zion National Park. It made it possible for us to see the beautiful mountains from an entirely different perspective.
My ride was a mule named Peekaboo. In the words of our guide, she was “a Cowboy’s Cadillac.” The ride was smooth, allowing us to climb hill and valley without a care. The view was grand, taking us to locations we wouldn’t otherwise traverse so quickly. The beast of burden was gentle but powerful, carrying me without a care or hesitation.
However, the mule was not the only beast of burden on that trip. A shuttle bus moved us from one part of the park to another. A plane transported us 3,400 miles from Indy to Phoenix and back in a matter of hours. A rental car moved us across the desert landscape without a care. Our Hyundai waited for us in the parking lot after our plane landed and it returned us to home and hearth.
Every day we use beasts of burden, either animal or mechanical, without a second thought. As I think about my 45-minute commute to work each day, driving at 65-miles-per-hour along highways and interstates, I have to stop and give thanks that I have the luxury of a modest vehicle to help make that trip in a matter of minutes, rather than days.
Just as I was grateful for Peekaboo, I am so very grateful for my humble Hyundai and my ability to travel with ease.
