At Heart

Last night I decided to go climbing at the wall, which I usually do once a week. I was attempting this 5.9 and having a heck of a time with it. There was all sorts of smearing that I was supposed to do and handholds that literally took layers of skin from my fingertips. In case you didn't know, smearing is where there isn't technically a hold for you feet, but you make do and just jam your foot on the wall until it sticks, or slips off and you fall. One of the two.

Anyways, after a bunch of "cheating", which is where you grab onto holds that don't correlate to your specific climb, I was pretty discouraged. I mean, 5.9's are decently hard, but the person ahead of me cruised up just fine. I did manage to make it to the top, but discouragement was pretty high by then. Obviously I need some time to work that route out.

After getting down, I went to say bye to Christy; my version of a rock climbing goddess. She's lots shorter and super strong and can do pull-ups like nobody's business. She was attempting some bouldering problems and pulled them off really well. I said jokingly in our exchange that one day I hope to be a "real climber" and she laughed and said "Me too! I still don't feel like a real rock climber."

I couldn't believe that. How could she not feel like a real rock climber? I mean she goes almost every weekend rock climbing, she is dating a rock climber, she works at a climbing wall and she is a great climber. All of those point to being a real climber right? After those thoughts quickly went through my head, Christy reconsidered her words.
"You know what. I think people become climbers when they decide that they are a climber. Everyone who's here has climbing in their hearts and that's all that matters. Some people peak at 5.9's, 5.10's or 5.13's. It's about being on the rock, trying your hardest and just doing it. So, yeah. I guess I am a climber."

Now I just have to decide when I've become a real climber. I think I'm still a ways off yet. But I'm sure as long as I have climbing at heart, it'll come to me one day.