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General Climbing Discussion

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living in the moment 25-Nov-2004 At 2:11:36 PM butter_fingers

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I can honestly say I have yet to experience being in the moment. I'm all too often innundated by images of falling, looking stupid, or injuring myself (along with an internal dialogue to a company and occasionally a small 'imaginary' wet patch where I can imagine having soiled myself).

Perhaps it's down to a lack of experience on my part, I know that I do not go climbing as much as I want to, and thus I suppose saying that I talk myself out of climbs and going climbing for fear of looking stupid, is the major cause for the bumbly grumbles.

As for _my_ appreciation for climbing, much of it is in hindsight. Even though my belief in my ability is built on sand, in retrospect after a days climbing I feel as though I have achieved something. I couldnt' care less if I actually tick anything, it is the sense of oh-wow-i-pushed-myself-and-discovered-a-little-more-about-my-life-climbing-and-potential I get at the end of the day that makes me look forward to the next amazing adventure.

In retrospect, I don't have any good or bad days, but I'm sure that I'm one of those fools who decides at the start of a day how I will feel throughout. That's why I like climbing, it clears my head, even though while climbing I make excuses, give up regularly and generally give people reasons why I should be kept as a belay slave. I know that people who have climbed with me have found my attitude somewhat frustrating at times, but as my climbing ability improves I'm sure my mental attitude will also.

Many people do not see the world for what it is, but rather as a reflection or resonance of their past experiences, but as the object in the mirror is larger than it appears, so too are perceptions, warped and distorted by our perceptual 'filters' (i.e. our past) which in effect control how we see the world. Perhaps for all of us it is a combination of in the moment and in reflection that alows us to derive our joy (& orgasms? I know some people feel differently about their latest routes / ticks than I do) from climbing.

What we experience in the moment, good or bad, can change in reflection as the experience is put into perspective, and depending on why we're recalling it. eg:

*on the climb* oooooooh mannnnn.... this is not good.... no pro man!.... sh@334t sh@334t sh@334t sh@334t I think you're going to have to do this....

*back on the ground* and the crux... got so totally spanked... I think I was gripping... had to dog... but I got up... yessirree... *cough cough*

*to the newbie in the gym* difficult... naaaaah... so easy I did it with one hand behind my back... blah blah blah

hmm... I seem to have lost track of my thoughts, I think I need to re-read and expand on this later also...

off the the mountains ! woohoo CLIMBING!

I hope you get my drift...