Margaret Mathis: Why Her Story Has Been On My Desk for 365 Days
In November 2021, DownEast Magazine published a special issue entitled “70 Over 70: Looking Back and Looking Ahead With 70 Extraordinary Mainers”. It was exceptional. I love reading the stories of people in their 70s, 80s, and beyond because I think they’re too often overlooked in our current culture, not readily enough admired and celebrated. So you can bet I read and adored every profile.
But one story, in particular, stuck out to me so much that I tore the page from its binding and it’s been living on my desk for the past 365 days. It’s the story of Margaret Mathis called “Tales from the Trail” ⤵
The story, beautifully written by Sarah Stebbins from DownEast Magazine, talks about how Margaret Mathis, 93 when the story was written, hikes several times a week, even in winter, how she’s traveled all over the world to “Antarctica, Australia, Belize, Costa Rica, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, among other far-flung spots, often with a grandchild in tow”, and how she even accompanied her son and his family on a 4-day trek to the Machu Picchu ruins in her 80s. She bikes and skis, too, and not only did she spend her working years sharing her wanderlust and love for the outdoors with students from Maine to Switzerland, but she’s still sharing her love for the outdoors with people. She even recently tackled New Hampshire’s Mount Washington with a group of friends.
Her story is impressive, for sure, but that’s not why it’s been living on my desk for the past year.
The reason is this — she’s living one of my biggest dreams, one I need to know is possible.
There are several similarities in her story and my own.
She lives nearby.
She’s exceptional, for sure, but when she was my age, maybe she wasn’t all that different from me right now.
Every time I see this article on my desk, I think ⤵
If she can do it, maybe I can, too.
That, my friend, is a powerful thought.
An important thought.
A thought that can change the trajectory of a person’s life.
Which leads me to this important question for you, dear reader ⤵
Whose story do you need to put on your desk?
Who’s someone a little bit like yourself living one of your big dreams right now?
What do you need to see as possible for the days and years ahead?
Find someone.
Tear their story out of a book or magazine and set it on your desk, tape it to your mirror, stick it on your fridge.
Or write it yourself and place it there.
If they can do it, you totally can.
I hope I see you out there living it.
You can read Margaret Mathis’s full story here.
To find out more about DownEast Magazine‘s special issue “70 Over 70: Looking Back and Looking Ahead With 70 Extraordinary Mainers” ⤵
