This is my story and I'm stickin' to it
> The truth is in fact a very difficult thing to
>take. It is a personal challenge to see ones self
>clearly without diminishing yourself, or exaggerating
>yourself. I believe that it is a persons
>responsibility to be as truthful as possible.
> My truth in this case is that I am NOT a natural
>athlete. I have rarely been one to enjoy physical
>activity at all. I've never excelled or found
>enjoyment in a sport, or even exercise. I do indeed
>still struggle with that. Yet three summers ago, a
>woman I love as my sister, did for me, one of the
>grandest things in my life. She taught me how to play
>again.
> At that time, my youngest child was almost 1 yr
>old. I was still carrying a lot of baby weight (I
>weighed 210 when he was born) I was unhappy with
>myself and not taking care of my body at all.
> Amy had been climbing for the last year and a
>half with her boyfriend. They were breaking up, yet
>she was un willing to give up the sport for lack of a
>climbing partner. Her solution changed my life.
> It is a challenge for Amy and I to find time to
>spend alone together. We have very opposite schedule.
>But, she called me and asked me to take a weekend to
>go camping with her, and maybe climb if I wanted to.
> I had often imagined myself in the mountain,
>climbing rocks...touching the earth and being
>effected. But being me, I was afraid, or at least I
>thought I was.
> We left on Friday and I DROVE (big deal-I HATE to
>drive). As we neared Smith the sun was setting as it
>only can in the high desert, purples and pinks
>splashed in the sky like some sort of mystic water
>color painting. That night we slept out in the open,
>just our sleeping bags on a tarp. The sky was so
>beautiful and so clear. I remember there being a
>meteor shower, and making a wish on every falling star
>that I could find it in myself to be a better stronger
>me.
> Amy and I got up with the sun the next morning.
>We chopped onion peppers, and potatos, and fried them
>with tofu and cheese over the top (in case you have
>never been to the keystone... it's called a
>POWERHOUSE) We packed up Amy's pack with20 or so
>pounds of gear, and she handed me an over sized fanny
>pack with water and sun screan. And we drove to Smith
>Rock.
> It was so BEAUTIFUL it took my breath away. I
>was moved and affected by the "FEELING" that I had
>there, as if god arranged it so that humans might go
>there and be thankful.
> We hiked all morning, stopping when I was too
>tired, resting when I needed. We made it to some place
>around the back side, I can't remember exactly where,
>but there were many smallish boulders around. We ate
>lunch, and then Amy handed me her rock climbing shoes
>and told me to put them on. She told me to just get on
>the rock and to not worry about it. To play. NO BIG
>DEAL. so I did. I was amazed that I got off the
>ground. I was astounded that I LIKED it. I climbed up,
>I climbed over. I found places for my feet, and things
>to hold on to. I felt more gounded on that peice of
>rock than I had felt AT ALL over the past several
>years. I kept moving, and I crossed my foot over and
>looked at her and asked " can I do this?" and she
>said, "can you do that?, yeah, thats awsome!" and then
>she laughed and laughed because she was as shoked as
>I was that I took to climbing so well. I could move
>comfortably and confidently in the vertical world.
> After that we hiked twords monkey face and ended
>up turning around when we ran out of water. We were
>elated by my success, time spent together talking shit
>about life , men and everything else.
> On sunday we got up with the sun and ate. We
>headed to the rock that I know as "Practice Boulder".
>It is really a bouldering problem, but there are bolts
>at the top. Amy scrambled up the back, and I followed
>her. My confidence comming from the fact that Amy is
>an EMT and would never let me die. She told me about
>S.R.E.N.E. as she set the anchor for a top rope. We
>scooted back down the scramble and again she handed me
>her rock shoes and told me to put them on. She showed
>me how to put on the harness and tied me in as she
>talked me threw the knots and the comands.
> I said "climbing" and she answered back, as she
>always does "climb high"
> As i stood there looking at the rock I felt a
>peice of my spirit slip into place. I knew at that
>moment, if I could climb that rock, I could do
>ANYTHING. Not what anyone else told me was "okay" or
>acceptable for me to do, but ANYTHING truly ANYTHING.
> So I climbed and I climbed, and I shook, but I
>didn't stop. Amy constantly guiding me, "look left, by
>your knee,that's it,put your weight on it,commit,
>straighten your leg, it will stop shaking." And I did.
>I touched the anchor without weighting the rope once,
>and my life was forever changed.
>
