Portrait 26: Magic Mike

"I still have a lot of healing to do." - Magic Mike, a hiker

Magic Mike was an army ranger. After 30 years in the military and corporate worlds, he retired. And shortly after that, he lost his wife to an aortic dissection. As he put it, life was great. Everybody was happy. Then, suddenly, his whole world was rug-pulled.

About a year later, Magic Mike found himself receiving his son's college degree posthumously. His son had earned a 3.9 GPA in a technical field. He also spent years quietly suffering from depression. He wound up taking his own life before he could graduate.

When I spoke with Magic Mike, he had yet to worry about life after trail. "I have a lot of miles left. I still have a lot of healing to do."