As I walk a little farther down my path I can’t help but wonder why it seems to be so littered with bumps, potholes, mountains that seem too high to climb, and crevasses that seem too wide to cross. I wonder still, why others seem to travel a flat path, or seem to have taken root and face no pitfalls at all. I can’t help but wonder about the fairness of it all.
As I wonder this, as I often do, I see up ahead another challenge, another slippery slope. As I buckle down to tackle this climb I can’t help but notice that I am ill equipped for this slope. It is icy, and steep and full of areas that seem to difficult to climb at all. I wish for climbing shoes and gloves, but tools that would make this journey bearable are just out of reach. And so, with shoes worn smooth and bare hands, I head onward and upward on a journey that seems destined to be painful and full of pitfalls.
Knowing this I begin anyway with that first step. I dig in, and climb, knuckles bloody, knees skinned and back sore from the steepness of the slope. As I finally approach the summit, I reach, tired beyond words, to the final rock that can pull me over the top. As I stretch and reach out, it breaks loose and I tumble clumsily and roughly, to the bottom.
I know that I could simply walk around the mountain, but I dig in once again and begin the climb. This is after all, my path, and one that I have chosen. I know I may not know why, but I hold fast to the idea that there is a why and I dig in, once again.
After several more attempts, I make it to the top, weary, sore and bruised from the battle. I stop only for a moment and admire the view from the top.
There are many people sitting, and watching, and I wonder…maybe they know something I don’t.
I remember though, the view from the top of the mountain, one they will never see, but only hear about. They will make snide comments, call me names, label me and judge me, all because they have chosen not to travel but to watch others try. Although the campers seem happy, I wonder if they have no gauge, how can they be?
I stand up, brush myself off and begin again down the path.
Up ahead, the path is curling into a dark forest, where danger is surely lurking around every tree and in every dark corner. I keep going though, always forward, along the path that I have made for myself with the hope that if danger exists, that happiness and safety must also be nearby. I choose not to settle for a camp at the base of the mountain, but to keep going in search of another slippery slope.
I will greet the next slippery slope and banana peel like old friends and welcome them on my journey.
There is an old saying that says, “if you’re going through Hell keep on going” and while this is true, I would like to add that if you’re going through Heaven to keep on going also….
Cheers, Chris
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January 28th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Thanks for the greet page. I loved reading it!