Ah, the ever familiar critic in my head, always has to make himself known to me.
“Why are you climbing?
Why are you wasting your hard-earned money on climbing?
To what end?
So you can climb rando walls with rando hand and foot holds?
Shouldn’t you get a more practical hobby, like Krav Maga or even a screenwriting baking hobby? Would be more useful.”
WHY CLIMB?
Is a very good question.
Today I went back to the gym and discovered that I actually like bouldering, after all!
Climbing is unlike anything else we humans do throughout our day — it is not like working out at the gym, brushing our teeth, making our beds or yoga. And definitely not like tapping on a device and killing my eyes staring at a bright screen.
I discover I can do things, like hang from a one-hand hold (granted for a millisecond, but just long enough to stretch, grab, switch my feet) and climb walls that are not perpendicularly straight, but jutting out towards you (ahhh— gravity).
Like many things, it’s mental. Sure there are skills involved. I’m excited to slowly learn those over time and slowly build my muscles over time.
But discovering that conquering the wall starts with feet on the ground and conquering it in one’s head first. Declaring to the wall (top-rope or boulder):
I CAN DO THIS!
I GOT THIS — GO!
It turns out that confidence can spread to other parts of one’s life. I think.
There is a lavender-pink-lit cloud just over the trees outside the window as I write this. An expanse of snow.
It’s been a shoveling, climbing type of day — the best.