Running uphill, downhill

There are mountains to climb. For each of us, the size and severity of what we must face may vary greatly but, we must each face ours alone. Paths may cross with others and there may even be help that arrives at times but the gradient only ends when the end itself has arrived and at that point, there is only one.

How we approach the climb itself is up to us however and each will incorporate different strategies, some use sheer strength and will to go straight up the side, some look for easy paths and some may spend a great deal of time sitting, hoping and waiting for help that may or may not arrive.

No matter the strategy or speed, we all stumble and fall at times, all misstep, skin a knee and sometimes, crash hard and break bones. Occasionally, no matter what we attempt we are unable to gain height, struggle to stay in place and may even slide backwards down the slope. We all make mistakes and miscalculate our words and actions and there are costs to pay to move or to stand still.

There is a sprint training technique that requires a slight downhill gradient which means that when running at full speed, one is actually moving slightly faster than what is possible. This forces the legs to keep up by spinning slightly faster. If the gradient is too shallow, the legs need not work harder, if the gradient too steep, the legs cannot keep up and one will fall hard.

I imagine this as kind of like forcing the body to act in a flow state where the challenge is always just out of reach and no matter how fast and strong one gets, the challenge will always be in front.

This is how I see the mountains, there is no beating them, there are just resting points, plateaus that I can use to catch my breath and take stock of the situation. I can look down at how far I have come, I can look outward at the views but soon, I must turn my attention back to what is behind me and start the insurmountable climb once again. It isn't impossible to reach the top because skillsets are too poor, it cannot be overcome because there is no top, it forever reaches into the skies, and endless gradient.

The overcoming is not of the mountain, there is no beating it. The overcoming is of the self when it realises that one can never finish life, life ends before everything is complete. This is the fact of life itself, it goes on without us.

No matter how much we do, how much we achieve, how much we discover, there will always be more ahead and when we reach our final point on the mountain, we will look up and see there is unfinished business, loose ends, words unsaid, life unlived, those we care about now out of our sight. Too late to catch those higher, too late to help those lower.

For some realising this feels defeating, knowing that there is no chance to win at this game as the only competitor is the individual. So instead of overcoming themselves they throw imaginary competition along the path, set goals to beat, see who can climb highest, who can get there the fastest. Gamify their life.

Others may instead choose to sit down on the nearest rock and contemplate why they should do anything at all if there is no end to the climb. Some will dawdle and kick at the rocks out of frustration at going nowhere fast nor having the willingness to move any faster. Others will enjoy a leisurely hike.

It doesn't really matter what others choose though as they are often on vastly different mountains and at varying points of their journey. Of course, this doesn't mean we can't interact with them, learn from them and them from us. Perhaps they will introduce new climbing techniques or no of some shortcuts for certain mountains. Perhaps they will want to spend some time adventuring with us, a travel companion until trails fork and again we are alone to face the climb.

For me, what is important in this life is the attempt to live it fully, explore laterally as well as gain height. Sometimes, when we look back down the slope we may see another trail that leads to a different mountain off in the distance. We may even choose to repel down and start a new journey, perhaps many new journeys along the life trail.

At the end, we have an invisible map of all we have seen and done, all of the hills, mountains and valleys we have walked through and explored or moved too fast to notice. There is beauty in it all, there is life in it all if we invest the effort to observe. What there isn't is someone keeping count, someone besides us that is.

We are the only one that cares how far we climb and the only one that can decide whether to keep spinning the legs and pulling with the arms or sitting down and stopping. We cannot see another's map, and they can only guess at ours. We are alone on our mountain. All of us.

I look at the mountain
get drowned in its shadow,
I reach a peak
feel the sun on the face.
The horizon closes
providing a final glow,
Darkness arrives
at a breakneck pace.

Ups and downs
twists soon become turns,
There is no way forward
not wanting to go back.
For a final end
the body begs and yearns,
Yet new day
lights a new hidden track.

One taken step
and then another again,
First the left
followed by the right.
Alone I am
at crest and at bend,
But when I stop,
what a beautiful sight.

Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]