Color Me Rosy

give your attitude a high-five

Solo

Originally posted from http://www.arthurcycling.com/2016/06/solo.html

Must be the end of my day, the sun has made its way to the top and was beating down so hot I could not touch the rock. So I took one last rappel and sat in the shade for a spell resting my head and my swell and soon started to sleep for well until the day grew cooler and appeared more lunar. 
As my eyes flickered shut I laid my head on a stump under the shade of a juniper tree. I glimpsed the last trail of my own shadow disappear as if passed behind a mirror reflecting the juniper's shadow off the red sandy stone floor. No I couldn't ask for more, it was peaceful and restful laying on that rock no shoes no sock and no talk. Just quiet. Time passes. After I stirred I observed how the juniper's shadow had swerved when the sun grew lower stretching out all the shadows below her. But where was mine? I held up my hand and sat up to stand and my shadow was gone. I looked all about and counted everything out: harness, rope, draws and shoes, cams and nuts, runners and carabiners, even my helmet but no shadow was cast by my body now up like a mast. Quite a problem I've never had, though I don't know if it's actually bad to be missing a shadow, did it go back home to Colorado?

I heave a sigh and looked up and to my surprise I was struck. It was there all along climbing the wall this whole time while I had sleep on my mind. Weighing no weight at all it moved with such skill, climbing backwards and upside down I would have been ill. But as I saw it descend one more time to the end of our favorite pitch it appeared unhappy, I'd say it even frowned and looked down. What could be so wrong you've been so free to climb with no troubles it seems. Then my shadow came closer  until we stood feet to feet and I realized something. To climb without inhibition, with full freedom and skill, to climb the extent of your will with no danger is still little thrill unless your there with another who can give you some cover and share in your ware and care for your ...hair. Climbing is best when shared with another. So next time you think it, take the time to invite, with others you'll have a much better hike and climbs will be sweeter, when you descend and she's there for you to greet her.

New post on arthurcycling.com - More Than Just Cycling

It has been a while but I've added a new post to arthurcycling.com go check it out!

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Yes we all know that cycling is a part of my life, for many reasons: exercise, stress relief, fresh air, competition, friendship, and pain (make it hurt now so it hurts less later etc.). But there is another significant part of my life that I want to share with everyone. While cycling is an outlet that helps me deal with almost anything there is another outlet that is even more effective and longer lasting - my faith. So with this motivation I change the purpose of my blog to focus on everything that helps me get motivated, including cycling. I had the opportunity to speak to the congregation at my church a few weeks ago. This posts contains the remarks I had prepared, I share them with you in hopes that someone else will find them helpful and motivating...



Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder

I’m a high school counselor.  I love my job.  But there are days when I wonder just what in the hell kids are thinking nowadays.  Boys are treating girls with less respect than ever before and young girls rarely demand something better.  This kind of behavior just confuses me.  If I had behaved that way 15 years ago, my dad would not have tolerated it.  But I can’t say much to these kids beyond a sliver of advice. And that’s only to the ones who come to me.  It’s just not my place.

There is a trend that’s becoming increasingly popular among teenage girls: the thigh gap.  This isn’t news.  I would wager that this isn’t the first time something like this has come up.  We as a society place the physical appearance of women in such high regard that it’s difficult to focus much on the beauty within.  We shouldn’t have to dig so far to see it but because of our own hang ups, we do.  In my opinion, the biggest issue with this is how it is reflected in the behavior of your youth.  Young women have lower self confidence and their self images aren’t considered beautiful.  Young men know this vulnerability exists and often take advantage or make it worse than it is.  NOTE:  I’m sure not everyone falls victim to this, but in reality it’s difficult not to.

I have three daughters.  I hate knowing that this could be them in a few short years.  To me, they are beautiful but society will tell them that every blemish is horrific and that single ounce of fat needs to be dissolved.  So many young women are obsessed with achieving the impossible and obtaining that “perfect” image.  You can imagine how refreshing it was to overhear a young man sincerely and intently tell young women how this obsession is crap.

Men are shallow, it’s true, but there are a few of us who keep our gender above water.  This young man fell into an elite group of gentlemen, and I was proud to know him.  We have weeks left of school.  Everyone is restless and aching to hit the pool or beach.  A young woman said, jokingly, that she “probably got her body a little too ready for summer.”  You had to have been there.  But then another young girl, I’m guessing a friend of hers, commented that there is no such thing.  I rolled my eyes like the teenage girls engaged in conversation.  But, in a moment of triumph, their male counterpart inserted himself into the conversation and promptly told them off.  Hear me out.

Never before had I witnessed such an awesome act by a young man.  He ranted on and on about how it’s nice to stay fit and care about your appearance, but if the hottest girl wore sweats to school she would still be the hottest girl.  He said that confidence is more attractive than a perfectly made up face, and that no matter how skinny or not someone is, their attitude determines how appealing they are.  *Silently fist pumps, alone, because finally someone got it right.

I know we’ve all read and heard of things like this happening.  Dove‘s beauty campaigns make me want to purchase a lifetime supply of their product just because they paint a more accurate picture than anyone else.  But this kid was amazing.  Seriously amazing.  He was bold and not the least bit shy in his delivery.  It was easy to see that he really believed what he was saying.  He made my day, and I hope the day of those teenage girls, and for that he gets this post.  The Upbeat Seat is a little more upbeat because of him.