The Mountain-Climber and the Mountain

Let me tell you a story about the Mountain-Climber and His Mountain. 

The Climber woke up early in the morning, before his wife and child.  The clock reads the same time as it does every morning when he wakes up.  He lifts the covers back as quietly as he can so as not to disturb his wife sleeping next to him.  She got home at 4:30am last night.  Work.

The dogs annoyingly get up at the same time.  The youngest of them jumping excitedly at the bedroom door as the Climber walks over to it. He hushes the dogs and checks again on his sleeping wife.  Still sleeping.

The Climber walks into the kitchen and turns on the pantry light.  He grabs the two bowls of dog food and serves them their morning meal.  He brews a cup of coffee after having thrown yesterday's grounds in his compost.  He walks out back to the sounds of grunting and clucking.  He takes two scoops out of a bin outside and opens a fenced in area where his one pig and five chickens sleep during the night.  Before he opens the gate to let them roam free after walking the perimeter of the house to check for coyotes.

Back inside, he sits down at his office chair and turns on his desk lamp.  He starts his computer up and continues to follow his morning routine and gets straight to work.

Hours go by.  His fingers work like a percussionist on the keys on his laptop.  His body sways as his thoughts transfer from his brain to his fingers.  This is his zone.  This is his lane.  Adrenaline pumps through his body as he imagines the story he is writing coming to life.

Hours go by, and soon the rest of the house wakes up.  He greets them all with love and spends some time with his child before he looks at his wife.  He doesn't even have to say the words, she knows what he is going to say.  He has to go climb his mountain.

The Climber puts on his gear, his mind altering into a readied state of sub-consciousness.  He laces his worn out shoes tight, takes his headphones, picks his playlist, and plugs in to plug out.

The streets are empty as he steps out onto the road.  He looks up at the mountain he is about to climb and smiles.  He says in his mind, 'Hello again, friend.  I'll see you at the top soon.'  Now ready to go, he begins his climb.

The first part is always the hardest.  It takes the Climber a few minutes to get his groove, but once he does, his stride is magnificent.  A shield takes him over and he becomes very determined.  As he approaches the Mountain, he no longer looks at it as a friend, but something he must conquer.

His face focused.  His gate clean.  With each new song that comes on it seems as if that was the exact right song at the exact right moment for him to have to hear.  He attacks the mountain with an un-relenting cry.  His feet dig into the dirt and rocks.  Branches dab his arms and legs, encouraging him to the top.  He looks at approaching hills on his path and laughs as he accelerates up them.

He is almost to the top now and there is a leveling out.  He takes a moment to slow down his pace because he recognizes that he is near the top, and there is no one else around him.  The sun warms his entire body, giving him more strength and encouragement to continue on.

As he turns a bend and makes it up the final hill, his heart grows full.  He arrives at the top of his mountain once again.  The branches of the trees around him suddenly move with an unapparent gust of wind.  He knows this is the mountain greeting him back.

The Climber pulls from his pack a bottle of water and spreads it out among the trees.  They bow their branches in thanks as he shares in the refreshment.  After a while, the Climber becomes sad.  He knows his time at the top is over and he must go back down to his family again.  The trees understand, but he still feels bad.  He gives them more water and tells them that he will see them again tomorrow and the trees say thank you.  The Climber packs up his water, picks up a handful of dirt and feels it in his hand.  He then lets it flow over him as he begins his descent back down the mountain.

Before the top is out of his sight, the Climber knows to stop.  He turns around and looks at the mountain peak once more and bows.  He thanks the mountain for giving him the gift of ever-lasting difficulty and reward.

The End.