Moving at a Pace that Allows Room for Wonder
On a recent hike in DuPont State Forest, I walked with a participant named John. John is an older gentleman who lives with cognitive disabilities and who also happens to love walking. And not the fast kind. John walks slow. Deliberate. Steady. The kind of pace most of us have forgotten.
As we moved down the trail, John often stopped to simply look . He looks up at the trees, down at the creek, out at whatever catches his eye. On this hike, he wasn’t worried about keeping up. He wasn’t rushing to the destination. He was fully present.
Toward the end of the hike, I noticed he’d fallen a bit behind. When I went back to check on him, he was standing on a small bridge, just taking in the forest around him — quietly, contentedly, completely.
Watching him, something hit me: I need more John in my life. More slowing down. More noticing. More taking it all in.
Life moves fast. I usually move fast with it. But that day, John reminded me of the beauty of moving through the world differently; moving at a pace that allows room for wonder.
This is why your support matters. Because when you give to Waypoint Adventure NC, you’re not just helping participants like John experience the outdoors — you’re helping people like me learn from them. You’re helping shape a world where we all get to see, appreciate, and learn from the gifts that people with disabilities bring.
I want to be more like John.
And I’m grateful that your partnership makes moments like this possible.
—Adam
