Guadalupe Mountain: The Top Of Texas

Standing atop Guadalupe Mountain, the view extended for miles. At 8,749 feet above sea level, it’s no Everest, but it is the highest point in Texas. Downward the valley is adorned with cactus and brush.

Patches of light and shade rolled over the mountain range. The result of winds aloft, pushing and pulling clouds, painting upon a canvas of dark blue sky with the twisting and tumbling form of whites and greys.

We’ve all heard it said, “It’s lonely at the top.” Who ever said this has never stood on Guadeloupe Mountain . We were in the company of a foreign couple, a wild land firefighter, his rancher father, and a park ranger. We had passed and would later meet a group of teenagers, college kids, an elderly man, and multiple families. This crowd encompassed every color, age, belief, and orientation imaginable. Yet, here we were on a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

Lauren laid on a flat pitch of rock soaking in the suns warm rays as Ben and I explored the peak. A small spire marks the highest point of the Lone Star State; below it rest a log book/ geocache. Digging inside, I removed a small holographic card of a very Renaissance era Caucasian Jesus, which shifted to an equally unlikely image of Marry. If you choose to believe Jesus was a myth, a man, a prophet, or the Messiah, is up to you. But it’s unlikely he was a blond-haired, blue-eyed, white guy. I doubt he looked like a surfer or male model with perfect hair and a ripped 6 pack. This is not a stab at religion, stay with me.

One of Laurens students had given us some sort of horrible exotic suckers to celebrate our achievement. The moment that strange confectionery touched my tongue I questioned how anyone could enjoy such an odd flavor. I guess, to each their own, right!

Gazing past our company and toward the horizon somehow these tiny pieces pulled together. Why do we as human beings expend so much effort defining our differences? Why can’t a Christian, an Atheist, a Humanist, and a Homosexual entering a bar, not be an intro to a sad joke, but just some friends hanging out? Red, Yellow, Black, White, who cares! We don’t have to agree on every topic, just realize we have far more in common than that which separates us.

This world is filled with so much beauty and diversity. A multitude of terrains offer differing flora and fauna. We see the balance within these systems as nature’s splendor. Why can’t we see the same within ourselves? Perhaps it’s only “lonely at the top” for those who can’t see past their prejudices.

9 thoughts on “Guadalupe Mountain: The Top Of Texas”

Amazing!! Thank you for sharing.
(& I have to ask … What was in those exotic suckers??) 😉

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curt edgerton says:

January 29, 2016 at 6:16 am

Some sort of mango chili pepper sugary thing. It’s originally from South America. I for one not a huge fan…

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