Personal Injury Law

Why, why, why, why, why, do you want to climb a mountain?

By Steve Lombardi

He was 88 and died a legend. On January 10, 2008 Sir Edmund Hillary's death was announced by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. I never got to meet him.

People who have never climbed a mountain will always ask why anyone would want to mountain climb. Sir Edmund Hillary answered, 'Because it was there.' And everyone may think that too simplistic, but I don't think so. It's all about one's life journey. Hopefully at some point in our lives we ask the question, 'What is the point of all of this?' or 'Is that all there is?' Life is about more than just living. It's not about the first day or the last day but about the journey in between. The cowboys say, it's about the miles you've ridden on the day to day trail that count the most; not the buckle you get at the end of some tournament. And I believe that is true and so like many of my friends, I climb. And we climb high and sleep low. We climb when our bodies tell us no more or our tired bones scream for mercy and turn our heads to lower altitudes. When the weather kicks up and you experience sun so hot you're covering up, then rain, then snow and then sleet all within a days climb. Some days you don't feel like doing what it takes but you do it anyway, because there aren't any good excuses in the mountain.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on January 29, 2008 (boomark / email).