This is a piece I wrote a few weeks ago while hanging out in the Las Vegas airport. I didn't post it after it was written, but I figured I'd do so now. Enjoy.
This trip was important for me personally because I climbed El Capitan, one of my longtime life goals. It was my third attempt, and physically the hardest thing I have ever done. I did it with a great partner, Dave Ahrens, and we worked as a team to achieve the goal.
I am at the end of a 12 day trip, sitting in the airport,
way early for my flight, with random thoughts of prose popping into my head,
scattered notes that are unable to form into something big or coherent, but
important thoughts all the same.
This trip was important for me personally because I climbed El Capitan, one of my longtime life goals. It was my third attempt, and physically the hardest thing I have ever done. I did it with a great partner, Dave Ahrens, and we worked as a team to achieve the goal.
Dave Ahrens high on El Cap, baby!
El Cap really isn’t on my mind much this morning, it’s a
rock and we climbed it, that’s what climbers do, we climb things. What is on my
mind is people. After Yosemite we drove to Las Vegas, because Dave has a
guiding certification course he is taking at the Red Rocks climbing area. Its
hot as hell here, and yesterday while Dave went into Red Rocks to practice some
rescue skills I loitered in Vegas. I started off in Starbucks, moved over to
Dunkin Donuts, and eventually was coffee-ed out so I went to get something to
eat. I ended up at the nearby Red Rock casino food court, ate some grub, and
then walked around the casino.
I can see why gambling is illegal in most places, it brings
out the desperation and pathetic nature in a lot of people. The lonesome person
clicking the same button over and over while they smoke their cigarette; a slow
easy death. The sight of one is enough to make the soul sad, but a hundred of
these people, well, that’s really damn sad and pathetic.
Then I think of other people, my people, the dirtbags, the
risk takers, the adventurers. We look for thrills mostly in the outdoors, and
that energy is absorbed into the essence of who we are. Interact with a vibrant
person, and we feel that energy within ourselves. I’m not saying living an
existence in the mountains is the only way to access this energy, it’s just how
my tribe does it. God, energy, whatever you want to call it can be found in a
thousand ways, but it must be found, its not going to come without effort.
I started out with trip with a dream to climb a rock with a
friend. The dream came true. I didn’t know if I could do it, but I did. Third
times a charm. So is the eleventh or a hundredth. Keep trying. Keep dreaming.
Dreams with effort come true.
1 comment:
Hmm, interesting thoughts. Thank you for sharing. I echo your sentiments about the seemingly life-less pursuits of human creations, such as Casinos, cities, etc. I find nature to be the expression of my "tribe."
I suppose in this vast world of unique differences (human or natural), that we all need to have something that makes us feel alive. Odd as it may be, I guess the freak in my acknowledges and accepts the freak in others.
Hmmm...keep up the loving and writing brother!
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