Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 9, 2011 - 05:04pm PT
Twenty-nine years ago, I did a bad thing, and I began to regret it the very next day.
There has been a lot of conjecture, mistruths, and outright lies about Wings Of Steel. I will present nothing but facts here. Everything I say here is the truth. I was a chopper and shitter in the Wings of Steel incident, and I am writing today to apologize publicly to Mark Smith and Richard Jensen.
To explain things a bit, but not justify anything, I'd like to go back to 1982. Richard Jensen and Mark Smith arrived in the Valley intent on climbing a new route on El Capitan, via the blankish looking slab to the left of the Dihedral Wall. Some Valley Locals, including me, a member of Yosar, and other Yosar members reacted badly to what we perceived to be their intrusion. We had put in our time on the Big Stone before venturing onto first ascent terrain. The word on Richard and Mark, whether factual or not, was that they had practiced aid climbing in some quarry in L.A. and felt ready for victory on our sacred wall. Word out was that they had not even done a single big wall...although I believe they actually had done the Column. A weird sort of mob mentality began to develop. We imagined a bolt ladder up the slab, and that was bad style. Therefore we felt it had to be chopped.
I have in my notes May 19th, 1982 as the day that I first free climbed Astroman. My log shows two falls. To celebrate afterwards, I remember quaffing a six pack in pretty short time. I was totally hammered and feeling pretty full of myself when a couple of friends of mine and I headed out to chop that route. It seems like we all sort of dared each other to do it. When we got to the base I had forgotten my jumars because I was so drunk. So I mostly just sat there while my friends went up and started the chopping. It was pitch black.
I don't want to say here who my two friends were because I don't think it is cool to "out" somebody. But I have never seen them here on the Taco, at least not knowingly, so excuse them if they never write here. I can say that they are still my friends and I consider them to be men of good character, though I don't see them that often anymore.
When one of them came down the fixed ropes, I used his jugs to go up and chop the first two bolts. They were the first and last bolts I would ever chop in my life, such was the subsequent distaste in my mouth that I experienced from this act of vandalism.
When the top guy came down from the second pitch, he held a biner full of copperheads that he had chopped like it was a trophy. A lot of the heads looked tiny, and that was when I first began to realize that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. It looked like Mark and Richard were doing some climbing. I thought we had come to chop a bolt ladder. Oops. That biner of heads still haunts me to this day. After all, when Robbins began chopping WOEML, he at least was able to realize after climbing part of the route that it deserved to stay. But we hadn't climbed anything, we had just jugged their lines, and we had chopped it in the dark without looking. We never even gave those guys a chance.
We were pretty caught up with the event, and had brought some beans or chili to dump on their ropes in the end. But I guess that wasn't good enough for me and I had the idea to defecate on their ropes. Events are really hazy for me here, perhaps because I have tried to repress these hurtful memories for most of 30 years, but I remember taking a dump on their cords, one of my friends trying but not being successful, and the other not dumping at all. Mostly, it was just me. And is a terribly hard thing for me to say and, of course, I am like, way ashamed. I was 21 years old at the time.
Now I'm 51. And after Ammon and Kait's second ascent vindicated Mark and Richard by agreeing that WOS has some of the hardest hooking on El Cap, and after reading some of the utter crap the people had said about these guys on the thread that would not die, and after reading Ammon's article in Rock & Ice, and after gettin' a nudge from "an acquaintance", I knew what I had to do.
Six weeks ago, with phone numbers in hand, I first called Richard Jensen, then Mark Smith in a single day, to apologize. Those conversations were amazing, and private, but the basics were that I 'fessed up to what I had done, and had expressed to them how sorry I was - and I mean , my God I was sorry. I was unanimously forgiven. I felt very humbled.
And the thing that really bummed me was that Mark and Richard seem like great guys. And the realization hit me that we could have been friends for all these years if circumstances had been different, and I hadn't done what I did. And that seemed like a shame. So, I felt I could forgive myself a bit now that I had come clean with those guys. It was a long time ago, when I was a young dumb blonde kid, and I had been especially trashed. But recently, I had been losing sleep over this because I felt so bad about it, and after speaking with Mark and Richard I slept better for a little while, at least until I knew I had to take this next step and 'fess up publicly.
Because these guys Mark and Richard had been taking all this crap over the years, and pretty much all of it was completely unfair. They had done Sea of Dreams and gotten a little respect. They went out to do an A6 route in the desert, finding it to be not that bad. But for whatever reason, maybe an extension of the mob mentality thing, these guys were just getting plain persucuted, even a quarter-century later. And it just doesn't seem fair now that I logically think about it. Nobody wanted anything to do with that slab . And since WOS, nobody has gone near that slab. If a couple of guys can come up from LA and embrace that slick slab like they did, then I say all the more power to them. They certainly did nothing wrong.
Mark and Richard, I wish I could turn back the clock and take that night back. But I can't do that. I can only do what I can do and this is all I can do. I realize I have made a lot of mistakes with people over the years and I have found myself calling and apologizing to friends with whom I had strained relationships by being a jerk at times (some of you on the Taco can attest to this fact). But this was my biggest faux pas in the climbing world, and with it being so public, it has been the hardest to come to terms with.
One of the bottom lines is that I don't want to be on my death bed with any sh#t hanging over me. And another is that I want to be able to meet Richard and Mark and be able to put my hand out and not have any unfinished business between us.
And so now I extend my hand - holding this olive branch - towards Mark and Richard.
Sincerely,
Steve "Shipoopoi" Schneider
Oakland, California
We all did stuff in our youth that we regret later. But most of us don't have the balls to admit it, let alone to publicly apoligize.
Steve Schneider = class act
Steve,
Thx for that. Going by 'here say' has gotten many of us into trouble. You needed some humbling; for this and for probably lots of other selfish/dumb acts.
I first met you at a 'casual' slideshow that you gave after another climber at the then, Sunrise Mountaineering in Walnut Creek, CA in maybe '85 or so. First-up was who we all knew here at the Taco as Brutus. He was cool enough to share an FA on Mount Whitney. However, he wasn't part of your entourage and during his whole presentation you and your buds made comments and jeered about his accomplishment. I don't know if Brutus even cared, but I found your behavior obnoxious. I've never had any respect for you since. Narcissism is an ugly thing.
So I am not surprised you were involved in this WOS thing. Perhaps, maybe I also can have some change of thought about you. Getting old and having things like this on your list of acts suck, doesn't it?
Good on you for owning up Steve! Ditto on the "we've all done wrong" riff, it's a rare thing that's irreversible with the right attitude. Your post was well written and heartfelt. Good on you.
Steve, as I told you when we talked on the phone, I'm deeply touched.
I know something of what your phone call, and now this, must have cost you, and I take a knee before you and honor you as a fellow warrior of the spirit. Well done; you have indeed rolled back the clock, my friend. Thank you.
Heavy sh#t man . . . no pun intended. What a crucial step forward you have taken to heal this blemish on your soul. It takes a real man to admit his mistakes and apologize to those he has slighted.
Good luck going forward with your healing process.
It takes guts to own up to a mistake, good work! I bet that's a weight off your chest.
Forgive yourself, we all make mistakes.
I'm not surprised the WoS guys accepted your apology gracefully. They seem like good guys.
Good work with a private then public apology. A silver lining may be if other climbers read this they may learn something about jumping to conclusions. I thought it was big of Royal to discuss his thoughts around the chopping on the WOEML, and help people understand the ethics of the FA are a tough subject and you really need to be careful.
More praise for Richard and Mark. They endured some major challenges outside of their once repeated route. And they took the high road the whole way. Amazing character.
And a fitting end to a Hollywood type script.. Thanks for telling your story Steve.
I’ve been observing the WOS thread, and have no comment; its above my pay grade. But I recognize a transcendent personal achievement in any context. Congrats massive.
That was a big step man. We've never met, but I hope your courage and humility, years and years in the making, serve as an inspiration to others. Asking for forgiveness is one of the great duties in life.......many go through life never doing it. i hope it and the relationship with the men involved brings you some peace.
I also hope that this act serves to change the minds of dudes who did a whole lot of unneccessary hating on Richard and Mark. I hope they realize how lame this thing had gotten. Thanks for doing the right thing.
Yall should go do a wall together. We'll be waiting for the TR.
Scott
steve, you are a man of substance, we've always known that. Now we know you are a brave big hearted man. And hey all, let's praise mark and richard for their open hearted response.
It's not just the boys but all the people who feel good after a good confession, Park Rat.
That said, from being treated to an apology 2 decades after a situation, I realized that saying sorry was like shrugging of an emperor's clothes and so freeing.
Long story short, I started being more gracious after someone else' example.
RA once sat himself down and said to those in the room, "After a while, if you criticize everything, everything is worthless". The gist was criticizing was not a good path forward.
Wow, I really didn't expect this. Especially after seeing that lame youtube video which seemed to be stoking the fire on this even more.
Years ago I read the book about the ascent and found it a good read. I could relate to the struggles that Mark and Richard were going through on and off the rock. I always felt an admiration for the ascent, I felt it was very Warren Harding-like bucking the trends of the day. The other cool thing was that they were local guys who pulled off a pretty cool achievement.
When I joined taco, I was shocked how people were still really emotional and negative towards Mark and Richard. I chose to avoid all of that until now.
I am happy they finally got an apology from one of the perpetrators, it was long overdue.......
Holy crap Steve! We have never met, but I've been an avid rock climber for 33 years and I've always had tremendous respect for your acomplishments. Well, now multiply that by a thousand!!!
You must have felt like you were on an A5 lead as you considered whether or not to come forward publically. Very impressive. And for me, deeply appreciated. As I told you on the phone, my friend, all is well. We will shake hands sometime soon. The essence of who you or any of us are is best measured by where we are headed, not where we have been. Sleep well tonight.
Man we've all done some things we don't care to share. Done someone wrong. Fortunately for most of us we didn't do something that went down in history with such bitterness for a whole community.
Talk about pressure! I can still remember with knots in my stomach having to confess a few things to close friends.
To have to do so publicly? I feel for you.
But out of this hard personal step please know you have brought a really positive closure to what would have continued to go down as a dark mark in climbing history.
You lift a weight off all our shoulders.
KUDO's to Steve, Mark and Richard. To helping close the book on the epic that is WOS
I'm a software guy and use a lot of social media, but Supertopo is the only one I participate in where I've witnessed it gel into a real, enduring community.
We've developed rants, raves, debates, ideas, charity, relationships, history, videos, stories, and even products - and now, in a real sign of maturity - integrity and humility. And, I don't mean just Steve, because I suspect his brave acts will fold into the fabric of who we all are both as individuals and together as a collected whole.
The book plays out a lot like the climb.
You start reading it with doubt in your mind.
Only to slowly realise you are reading one of the wildest adventures ever.
It's funny, original and witty, with themes and layers, and an all around first class adventure book.
I haven't been involved in the WOS debate for a long time, but I feel like I have to chime in on congratulating Steve in his resolve and Richard and Mark for their gracious acceptance.
Yes, huge respect to Richard Jensen and Mark Smith for their initial vision, hard work, and forgiveness, even after all the ugliness over all the years.
Steve:
Your actions were very understandable knowing the traditions and culture of that day.
Any of us can make mistakes, only the strongest can admit and accept them.
Much like Werners post, I'm in the camp of it is a shame that so many poor bastards got tossed under the bus during the sh#t-storm and finger pointing sessions on the rabid hunt for shitters.
Since you are no rat, how about a list of "non-shitters" culled from the accused in the various WOS threads? How about clearing their names?
Good on ya, Steve. Growing up;....happens to most all of us;...just takes longer for some of us than others. Everyone screws up....but not many find the sac to try to fix the screw ups;.....thanks for being an example, once again, to all of us....pointing us in the right direction and giving us all a tiny push. Much appreciated and respected. Good on Mark and Richard for hanging tough, being real, and being able to appreciate and respect Steve's honesty and sincere apology......We all know climbing is a dirty and dangerous sport.....Bravo to the climbing community for figuring this one out;....(took a couple of decades.....)...
With such a display of candor and humility you can kiss your political aspirations goodbye!
But maybe you could go onto the lecture circuit? Well done :-)
Who the hell started this whole freaking mess on Supertopo? I'd say let's kick their ass, but they're probably very fit, athletic, and some sort of MMA fighter.
wow, i'm pretty blown away. there is sure a lot of sweet people on the taco. thanks everybody for your support, especially richard and mark. i had heard that they were really a class act, and now that should be apparent for all to see. they really took the high road all the way. steve
Wow.
That was bold, done with surprising style, and will likely never be repeated.
You even made it look easy.
It's hard to not feel uniquely inspired after just reading that 1st 100 posts.
I also will take this opportunity to apologize to Mark and Richard if I ever piled on in any inappropriate or hurtful way, in threads past or distant past.
Rock climbing aside, and the rocks themselves aside, it's obviously humbling for everyone to see people genuinely putting the lives and feelings and real experiences of other people ahead of ego or tradition or whatever else.
Steve I remember a day when we surprised each other, and honestly I was even more surprised by you the day we later shook hands over that, but none of that ever really caused me to see you in a different light, the way this post has.
Namaste Steve.
After opening up in private, and then opening up here in public, I want to ask you, please, to do us all one more favor?
In particular for those of us who have long admired you, but also for those who may be just learning to admire you, and for all of the people in the World who care about you as a person and not just a legendary rock climber, I want to ask you please to continue this latest bold solo of yours, complete the trifecta, and forgive yourself.
hey poopi... way to finally get it off your chest. I remember when you told me this at the base of the slab a couple of years ago. I was like NO SH#T!! Glad you could finally get it off your chest =) Bummed I didnt get to see you this year... Lets talk soon, I'll give you a call!
Well that just about puts a bow on the whole WOS saga. Well done Mark, Richard, Ammon, Kait and finally Steve for coming clean.
That took guts coming clean, and as I get older the goal is to live life without regret, which I think is a common human thread.
Still I can’t help but wonder if that juvenile malicious prank (and Mark and Richard persevering after the act) didn’t add to mystique that has surrounded the WOS climb and has given some of us years of pondering about how we address the climbs we do, the form we do it in and our reaction to the people that occupy our alpine world with us. All’s well that ends well.
Steve,
One cannot change the past, but with correct actions help redeem it. As we probably had only met in passing, what I have known of you is from the quality and boldness of your routes – and I believe that you now again have done the same with your confession.
Forgiveness is tough as it involves action(s) from the perpetrator and the victim. You have gone to those who were most affected and inflicted by this act, and true to their convictions have wholly forgiven and now embrace you as a friend. In this I counsel to take solace; for there are those who will see the passage of time between action and accountability as an excuse to become even more vitriolic and derisive.
I also hope that this spurs others to right actions, those who have accused, derided, and have also participated in the “Mob Mentality” that you so aptly chronicled – whether in person or on the Taco- Actions indeed do not happen in a vacuum.
A thought on pride; Pride is indeed the root of many a foul action. As you have alluded to, it was pride for your turf, your group and the collective rules that was a prime motivator. Being drunk is never an excuse, rather the reason why the demon of pride was let loose.
In conclusion Steve, thank you for being transparent and accountable. Thank you for having the courage of your convictions. May you prosper in every good way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
+1 for thinking you should at least try the route (with the FA guys if possible) to attone for this. Also that would be a rad movie opportunity, you all sketched out on gnarly hooking with those guys cheering you on.
nice job in finally standing up! One thing you might also consider doing(which you might have already done) is to personally apologize to anyone who might have caught some of the blame for your actions.
Reposting from 2006, now with added significance....
I guess it's just my nature to look for the silver lining in things. First of all, (apologies to R&M, and S) but the whole incident WAS pretty funny. So childish. I hope you all can look back some day and laugh. Secondly, it gave the climb more notoriety because it was so outrageous. We ALL heard about it. Thirdly it gave rise to the apology and this thread... redemption! Fourth it was ONE more thing for the FA team to overcome. I think it was ballsy to say f*#k it, we're going to wash our ropes, regain our hight point and keep going. I think that was perhaps the best part of this whole incident, that Warren Harding doggedness displayed.
It's a beautiful test and drama of life that the WOS team should undergo this giant epic on the stone and epic of controversy in the climbing community only to be finally vindicated and pass the test of their professed Christianity by forgiving their transgressor. It's like topping out at the end of a 30 year big wall epic.
and also a beautiful example that Steve should come, as a super accomplished climber with his hat in his hand, demonstrating that someone once famous for his hubris could admit his mistake humbly and publicly come clean without defensiveness.
Humanity rarely sees such victories and the bloodlust for punishment pales by comparison. We've all made mistakes and done wrong. For once, it lead to a good example and transformation all around
Steve, first really got to know you at the C4 Bachar Memorial and will always appreciate your being there and your comments about John that evening.
I'm not surprised at this thread. We all make mistakes living life on this planet. Few have the personal integrity to address them and try to set things right. It's a blessing to know you. lynne
Big deal...! A silly prank , 30 years past , sends the C4 community into a frenzy....Get a life everyone and keep your nose out of Steve and the other party poopers business...RJ
It should not be minimized as just a silly little prank. It was an extremely strong physical demonstration of contempt and not being accepted, and for some people there are few things that could be more deeply hurtful. It sends a strong negative message that resonates with the deepest fears or vulnerabilities that many people have: "I'm worthless", "I'm not likeable or loveable", "I don't deserve to be happy" etc. These feelings are passed between people like a virus, transmitted in automatic and thoughtless or even premeditated and vindictive reactions in a vain attempt to cope with our own pain.
So the act itself, while superficially childish and petty, was profoundly destructive to spirit more so than to the ropes. This is all the more reason why it was so hard to step up and take responsibility. The passage of time probably made it harder and harder too.
Steve, it really takes a lot of guts to handle it as you have now, and I respect that infinitely more than any hard rock climbing accomplishment.
Today, you passed along antibodies to help us all kill the emotional and spiritual viruses that infect us all to greater or lesser extents.
Thank you.
Mark and Richard, thank you also for being pillars of integrity and courage.
Different perspective. I never met SS, buy we all know he's one of the all time greats on the rock. Of course he was so good at such a young age, it could not have been easy with all the politics.
I went to a slide show in the 90's, it may have been the Scott, Messner, Bonnington series, when I came across Steve's dad. A bunch of people were milling about after the show, telling lies, autographs, the usual. So I strike it up with this older gentleman, he was by himself, who starts telling me his son really likes to climb, he thinks it good for him and such. He goes on about the beautiful slides and stories we just went through and asked me questions about climbing. I tell him the truth; I will never do any of the climbs we just saw.
The guy had to be one of the most humble, easy going guys you have ever met. He tells me who his son is, like he's a weekend climber, and mentions once again what a great sport for all young guys to get into. He must spend a fair amount of time outdoors. This guy was the salt of the earth. Definitely the kind of guy you want to be friends with for the rest of your life.
The point is, at the end of the day (growing up, seeing life after spending a good amount of it as an adult) we all seem to end up like our parents. Be it good or bad.
I don't know Steve, never met him, but I did meet his father.
Steve is a lucky guy, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
I thought the name "Shipoopoi" was related to the musical 'Music Man' or perhaps the more modern redition performed by Peter Griffin and the Silly Nannies.
apologies and forgiveness
I'll bet it feels good to have the weight off for both parties
Everybody does things that don't shine and you can pull on that rope all you want but you can't reverse time
so good for you for forward and moving on
I really wish I could do something awful, apologize almost thirty years later, and be idolized for it. I am sure it wasn't easy to do, I doubt a lesser person would have done it, but apologizing after doing something like that shouldn't be easy.
This is an Homeric epic. Am I the only one gettin' the vibe this story is thousands of years old played out in various theatres ; each generation reinventing the wheel in post-modern dialectic.........
We "ALL" do horrible stuff, yet what separates "Great Men" from the rest is what is done after the fact. Do we realize what we've done? Claim responsibility, make an effort to fix it or do we ignore it? Pretend it never happened, shift blame, etc... (Since I've done a good share of pretending and shifting the blame. I know how much easier it is to be less.)
I hope one day I get to meet you Steve. It's rare to meet a Great Man I can learn from in this day and age.
Thanks for posting your apology, Steve. You show empathy and respect for the guys you wronged. You also give the rest of us insight into the mob mentality in that circumstance, which is also relevant to many of our responses on this forum. I appreciate the image you paint of the carabiner with all the small copperheads. It was not enough to stop the momentum of the moment, but it seems like it has worked on you over time.
Richard, Whenever you complained about the cowardice of the shitters and how they should come forward and apologize, I just smirked. "No one is ever going to confess. And even if they did, what good would it do?" Now Steve goes and confesses in a really decent way and it truly feels like it is doing a lot of good.
Richard, I have been rereading some of your early posts from 2005 and they seem even more fascinating and touching now. I still find myself annoyed at certain aspects of your writing and defenses. Yet, I find myself more and more impressed with your tenacity on the rock and in trying to explain yourself. It has been a very educational process reading this long and crazy conversation. Thanks for sticking with it and making such a long effort to explain to so many strangers.
I won't join the group hug, Steve, but down the road I will be curious to hear what longer term repercussions and lessons you experience. Also, in this day of pseudo apologies that don't actually apologize for anything, that was a good apology, plus an additional viewpoint on the times. Thank you.
Kind of a sad thought: many of our big weird community didn't even last long enough to grow up, as Steve seems to have. So many gone too soon, and too young. Thanks, Shipoopi (a great neighbor), for putting a mystery to rest... with maturity and contrition.
"This is an Homeric epic. Am I the only one gettin' the vibe this story is thousands of years old played out in various theatres ; each generation reinventing the wheel in post-modern dialectic"
Yes Tammi,
but it also makes me realise how awful people can be, how unfair folks can be and how elusive the truth can be - especially in complex situations.
I mean it wasn't hard to tell walking past this route like most of us have many times that there was no bolt ladder there.
It's definitely an unusual level of unfairness.
Very humbling.
Paul, thank you very much for your post. And you are being kind to call some of my rants "tenacity". SO hard to know where to draw the line, and, at some point early on, I decided to err on the side of being as "in the face" of the "strangers" as people had been in our faces. I am SURE that I at times crossed the best possible line and did err. But most people kept an open enough mind anyway that the truth could ultimately find acceptance. I am honestly humbled by that and thank people for putting up with some of my more vociferous rants. But, bottom line, is that what Steve has done here is magnificent, and it's an honor to receive and accept such an honorable apology. To me, what Steve has done is the focus of this thread. I do, however, very much appreciate your post.
There's no better feeling that fixing something broken and building bridges where there's nothing but burnt pilings.
A bit dramatic as usual but way more edifying that a lot that's said around here.
Nice work Steve, Richard and Mark.
Steve has more class than his main detractor, MTucker. And MTucker, you CAN confess your sins just before you die and be forgiven. I would venture to say that you will NEVER have the guts to do what Steve has done. MTucker=liar/hypocrite=Acer.
You are correct, Wyna. That changes nothing.
Fair does not matter, except to the likes of us.
Feel better?
BTW, I like Shipoopi, nevertheless. But then, for me, he's a man, not a disembodied voice that may or not in fact be one.
Unlike most of you.
That was a very proud and runout send by Steve of a route that had been haunting him for three decades. It took a lot of courage to face down his fears and confront them head on.
There are comments above about "fairness", which is a relevant concept. Forgiveness is inherently "unfair", because it requires you to make the conscious decision to let someone off the hook - the very person who hurt you the most. It is a free gift to the one who did the hurting, a gift that can't be earned. But it also lets you off the hook, too, because it frees your heart from the burden of bitterness and unforgiveness.
For Mark and Richard to graciously forgive Steve proves that they not only talk the talk, they climb the climb.
I know the depths of the hurt for all involved, and how much healing will take place in their hearts.
Steve will always be guilty for this one. He has carried the shame for almost 30 years - long enough for anyone to be burdened by something as ugly as shame, even for a hurtful prank spun from youthful folly.
The FAistas had and continues to have spine, the SA team proved that, and one of the antagonists showed class by stetching a hand out to close this silly but painful chapter in YV history.
Steve was always a standup guy to me. But that doesn't matter now, does it?
Why is Steve getting all the attention here? How about every last motherf*#ker who gave Richard and Mark sh#t for the last 30 years apologize. The local mob mentality that caused all the Valley locals to vilify these guys before they started their climb still exists in many places. It's one of the sadder things about the climbing community.
Have you read all the posts above? Actually, a few others have also apologized to Mark and Richard. :) Of course you'll never get every last one, but there has definitely been a lot of really positive progress made.
Good on you for fessin' up....
...while were at it i once put some cat shite in my brothers cargo pocket on his shorts that he wore to school..he didnt find it for 6 hrs....im goin' to hell.
Hell, I know people who feel less remorse for killing off a family of seven vietnamese.
Don,t stress the small stuff, but heroic of you to come out in public. Here,s to public confessions.
I just saw and read this thread for the first time. And I'm very, very, very impressed, Steve, with your courage in coming forward to apologize. We all make mistakes; what matters most is whether we have learned any lessons. You've earned my respect!
One of the best threads on the site... I hope other people are inspired to do the same things and right the wrongs of the past. It's never too late. Thanks for sharing the story.
You took the initiative to apologize, even after all these years. For this I have the utmost respect for you, Steve. It takes a man of integrity to admit to wrongdoing. Bravo!
Handel's Messiah has lyrics quite appropriate to this:
"He was despised and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
He gave His back to the smiters,
and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair:
He hid not His face from shame and spitting."
Steve, thank you for baring your humanity. We are all fallible. This is what makes us relate to one another--not in spite of our mistakes and shortcomings, but rather because of them. I hope this inspires others to right a wrong. I'm inspired: In the eighties I pulled on a piece on the last move of the 1st pitch of Outer Limits. There.
steve - just read it, I'm really glad you had the guts not only to confess here publicly on taco but to call both richard and mark personally. sleep now peacefully. take care peace kenny
Find it hard to bag on a guy asking for forgivness, getting it from those who can forgive and admitting to doing wrong! I'd take that guy as a friend anyday!
Peace
I will probably never have the pleasure of meeting Steve Schneider, but he will live on forever in my mind as the man who taught me how to check if the climber tied in. To this day, my wife and I still do this move to each other to jokingly verify we are tied in properly.
ec
Let us know!