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some occasion to talk. Michael never wasted time on small talk. Stewart almost felt as if Michael already knew everything about him without having to reveal many facts.
    Michael seemed to have boiled down the elements of life to the essence. He had so much time to think, read, and pray without a lot of distractions. He had even tried his hand at writing. He was a patient man and had mellowed with age. As he grew older, he also came to the realization that time grew shorter each day and there was no retrieving any lost hours, days or years.
    He was not afraid to cut to the quick in conversation. If a statement was made without much prior thought or one that might have required a further exploration of facts, he would ask direct questions. Stewart wondered if it would be this way back down in the flat lands or if he and Michael found themselves in “normal” circumstances.
    Michaels’ philosophical challenges could make you rethink your position without causing you to feel like a fool. Stewart remembered his gramps saying, “Small people talk about people. Average people talk about things. Great people express ideas.”
    By those standards, Michael was the embodiment of intellectual greatness. Stewart considered what an unfortunate situation it was for all this knowledge and wisdom to be locked in this cabin with no way of sharing it with mankind. Stewart hoped, later after some schooling and more life experiences, he would dedicate himself to expressing the growth and insight he had experienced while on this mountain. Maybe he would write.
    â€œMichael, do you ever think about death?”
    â€œI would rather think about life. We all will face death. There is no sense in reducing the quality of life worrying about the inevitable.”
    â€œDo you ever regret about the time you have been isolated and away from,” Stewart fumbled for words, “life?”
    â€œBy life, do you mean the way most people live?”
    â€œYeah, I guess so. That, and being around others with whom to share your experience.”
    â€œI feel I have drawn closer to life. When you are around other people, you need to think their thoughts and believe their ideas as your own. You accept the way most people do things as ‘normal.’ Normalcy is dictated by trends in style, convenience, preference or necessity.
    â€œNo, I do not feel the years I have spent up here have been wasted. To find what life is really about we must decide what is important. It is very difficult to prioritize your values in the flowing and changing current of society. If you have a chance to get away from the attainment of wealth, getting ahead and being successful for long enough, you realize these goals were not that important. When you realize what is really important, you have a changed perspective.”
    â€œWhat is really important?” inquired Stewart.
    â€œAs you grow older, you find only things that really matter are those things you cannot accumulate, but conversely the things nobody can take from you. The only way I can explain is through a story. Have you ever ridden on a train?”
    â€œYes, we used to ride the train to visit relatives back east. We would get on one day, ride for about two days and arrive at the station a few hours from their house.”
    Michael smiled and continued, “Most people ride the train just like they live life and do about anything else. They just get on and later, they are where they think they are supposed to be. Those tracks did not just grow there in the wilderness. When the first track came through, I was about your age. There was a need for ties for the roadways to support the tracks. The railroad used to contract the work so they wouldn’t have to buy the wood and cut it. Instead, local people with stands of timber on their property would cut the lumber, saw it to dimension and deliver it to the proper location along the track constructions sites.
    â€œFarming was