When I originally took this photo, it was in color. I then altered it to be in silvertone. It was then that I noticed that I really look my age in this photo. Not that that’s a bad thing. It’s just a realistic thing. Wow. How I’ve changed over the last 20 years! Twenty years ago, I was in the Middle East serving in the military. I turned 20 years old in the Middle East. Now I’m a rock climber and a blogger. Who would’ve figured that life would lead me here, to this point? When I joined the military, I fully intended to spend my 25 or 30 years in and then retire. That’s not the way things turned out, but I guess things turn out the way they’re supposed to in the end regardless of the best laid plans. I never would’ve gotten into rock climbing if I had stayed in the military. I was simply too busy as a military police officer and machine-gunner. I was also an armorer and ended up being a fitness trainer in the officer’s gym at a military base in Germany. Yep, this year would’ve been my 20th year in the military had I remained in the service. I didn’t, though, and things didn’t work out the way I ever imagined they would. I’m still faced with surprises every day of my life. It seems that nothing ever goes as planned and sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s heart-breaking. It can even be both at the same time! One thing I’ve learned, though, is that you have to at least try to enjoy this journey called life, even if it’s not ideal. As a matter of fact, if you’re waiting for it to be ideal before making your next move, you’re going to die waiting! Don’t squander your life like that! Do something you’ve been wanting to do today. Try something new, or do what works to get through your day if it’s a rough one. Go for a walk. Get some fresh air. Take some photographs. Call or talk to a friend, or make a friend. Write your thoughts down in a journal, or get a voice recorder and vocalize some mental notes to transcribe later. Go get some exercise and hydrate! Hydration is something that almost everyone needs to do more of. Most of us are dehydrated and don’t drink enough water and other good, healthy fluids. You’d be amazed at how good you’ll feel if you just drink a few more glasses of water a day! I’m still waiting on my knee to recover enough to resume climbing, but I’m doing other things to occupy and utilize my time wisely while I wait for my knee to heal. One of them is this – blogging! Whatever you do to keep yourself happy and healthy, keep doing it. There are always more things we can do to accomplish those two facets of life, though. Make the most of your life! You only have one!
CLIMBING 4 THE REST OF US 