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stilltrying
Trad climber
washington indiana
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Feb 11, 2011 - 11:08am PT
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Great post Cragman. I had a similiar falling out with the guy that taught me to climb and with whom I had many wonderful adventures. It was a difficult situation at times and I did not really understand it. We worked in the same building but not the same area and when I would run into him it was awkward. I took it hard because basically he was somone I considered like a Brother at times and finally I realized it was his personality and way of handling life. I moved on past it and we were just casual friends from there on out. During those years I suffered major heart isues and he remained very healthy and in a way I was jealous of that. Three years ago Thanksgiving week I arrived at work to hear that Mike had been killed in a wreck on his way to work. It shook me to my core.
Going to the funeral home with my son Joshua who knew Mike also I was nervous about how it would go because I had not spoken to Mikes wife Nancy
in a few years. By the casket was a collage of drawings I had an artist make from photos I had taken over the years of Mike on variuos climbs from Whitney to Seneca to the Red River Gorge. I had given him this as a Christmas present a number of years ago. When I hugged Nancy I cried for five minutes and could not let go. Last year Mikes Daughter Amber got married and I sat there thinking how sad it was that Mike was not there because he loved Amber very much. My gift to her was a photo album of fifty some pictures of Mike on climbing trips. I wrote a little something by each photo. A couple of months later I received a wedding photo from Amber and on the back she wrote that it was the most meaningful gift she had received and she would treasure it. I felt that the circle had been closed and that somehoe Mike was smiling at us.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Feb 11, 2011 - 11:24am PT
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Very moving and touched me in a special place, I'm sure a lot of us have regrets for lost friendships that seemed like they would never end.
What is lost again is found, but not without humility, work and a realization of what are truly the most important things in life, our relationships with each other.
Reading this this morning was a great way to start my day!
Thanks Crag
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Feb 11, 2011 - 12:23pm PT
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Dean, you've made the world a better place today. Thank you.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Feb 11, 2011 - 01:56pm PT
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Dean-
I just picked up on this thread, and you have moved me beyond belief. it's a true honor for us here on S-T to have a friend such as you in our midst.
Rodger
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scuffy b
climber
Three feet higher
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Feb 11, 2011 - 02:21pm PT
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Thanks, Cragman and Stilltrying.
A couple very moving posts.
We're so afraid of being vulnerable, in any number of ways.
Vulnerability often leads to strength; it allows people to help you.
Remember old friends we've made along the way
The gifts they've given stay with us every day.
Mary McCaslin
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graniteclimber
Trad climber
The Illuminati -- S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Division
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Feb 11, 2011 - 07:31pm PT
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Cragman, I know I've tried to yank your chain on some of the other threads, but thank you -- God bless you!
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Pastor Dave
Social climber
Yucca Valley, CA
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Mar 14, 2011 - 11:54am PT
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Hi, went back over my thread this morning and saw your link. Thanks so much for sharing your spiritual journey through a difficult situation. I have been impressed once agin with the fragility of life as we watch the pictures from the devistation in Japan. I am having some difficulty in focusing while I waite to hear the latest news from Paul. Your story was just the inspiration I needed this morning.
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PBockenthien
Boulder climber
Lakewood, CO
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Mar 26, 2011 - 01:11pm PT
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Found this link from Pastor Dave's thread. Thanks for taking the time to explain most of it. Doug emailed me about this falling out, and I could sense a fair amount of angst about it on his end.
We each have qualities that need to be rounded off. Not you, but Doug. I've never met someone as stubborn as Doug. As a Guide, these are great qualities that can be counted on as Doug was stubbornly mister Safety First to the extreme.
But as a friend, trying to connect to the person beneath that thick stubborn as hell interior poseur? It didn't take me but a second to side with you Dean. I assumed that as long as you still had your pacifier you'd be okay! ;-)
I really didn't like Doug's stubbornness because now I had to compete with him in that area too. Be guide like him? No. Be a stronger climber that Mr. Fat Ankles? No. Be stubborner than Doug? Yeah, I'm gonna try and then quickly realized that I wasn't going to win that one either.
But hanging out with Doug has a lot of great positive impacts, just as it does with anyone you share time with, especially in a leading edge of life on the rock. As always, gotta take the lousy with the good.
I've changed since my time with you and Doug. I wouldn't trade it for anything though and I'm very excited to see the thaw between you and Doug happen and even now that I've come full circle with a deeper, richer understanding of faith that I'm sure Doug will disagree with.
The rest I will leave for mano a mano in JT!
Let me add a short note: Marty Snyder visited me a few days after Doug's stroke and we talked 3 minutes out of 3 hours talking about Doug. I said "Doug will make it." Marty nodded in agreement.
I didn't get to say "Doug will make it because he's too freakin stubborn." A stroke like this and for being out as long as Doug was results in a body on the floor, not a guy airlifted to Reno.
As for the rest of it, there would be no more Doug if not for Tobin and Amy.
Peace,
Peter
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Mar 26, 2011 - 02:58pm PT
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I ain't going top make it that weekend. But you guys are gonna have a blast!!! This is gonna be pretty epic.
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