One Autumn Afternoon

WHEN I HAD been sober in the AA program about six months, a friend of mine asked me if I would go hiking with him. Well, to be honest, being the rather lazy person that I am, I didn't think the idea of tramping around the Pennsylvania woods on my Saturday off sounded too exciting. I could think of any number of things to entertain myself in a nonphysical way. My friend persisted; I had nothing better to do; I would be doing my good deed for the day; so I reluctantly agreed.