Thanks to my line sisters, another fellow cruiser in our group, other Royal Caribbean cruisers and one worn out rock climber spotter, I triumphantly completed my first rock climbing experience. I thought it would be cool to do it and didn't think too much of it until I started the climb. Now according to unpublished reports, I had a moment of fatigue due to tiredness and mental anguish I was giving myself about the difficulty of climbing. As I was climbing, I began to second guess my ability and started to think, "How are my size 10 1/2 foot and my X amount of weight going to be secure on that small piece of plastic where your feet or hands go? Ya"ll have lost your mind." Well after yelling to the rock climber spotter, “I'm going down and I’m fatigue.” Mind you, I already assumed the position of dismantling with my hands wrapped around the rope and my feet dangling since I pushed off from the rock. He then tells me, “I don't have you. . . “(I know, right! Expletive—a blessing without using any words from the Bible) I looked at this plastic wall with its plastic studs and thought you will not have me, I got you. . . So, I listen to all below who were telling me put your foot here, straighten your leg (did I eventually do that?) and reach there made it to the top and rang the bell. . .
Now, currently my arms and legs are sore, but what would have been more than sore is the fact that if I didn't finish the climb, I would have this nag inside of me about not pushing myself or completing something I started. Yeah, it got a little hard during the middle of it. Yeah, I wanted to smack the rock climber spotter for not "having me". However, I would have been mad at myself for giving up or better yet—letting a plastic rock wall defeat me. Thereby, I took a second to think about that fact I found my will to complete it. Trust me when I tell you, it wasn't pretty. I think those photos of me climbing will only be for my eyes only or better yet, to remind me of what it takes to get over the hump.
At the end of the day, I knew I needed to do this not for some brownie points but to continue to show myself that you are capable of doing more than what you think you can. You just have to think you can. (I know really poetic, right!) Also, it reminds me of what I said to the Southwest Region Young People's Department of the National Baptist Convention, Inc. conference this July. I told them that God is such a good God that He gives you opportunities to earn the things we need. If we need strength, God gives us opportunities to gain the strength we need.
What does rock climbing have to do with half marathon training and running? Everything and nothing. You decided. For me, they are linked together and I couldn't do one without the other.
P.S. I climbed the more advance section of the wall. . . Go team go!!!
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