Today, I went rock climbing for the first time in a long while. Perhaps, to the casual reader, that means very little, but to me, that statement means a lot. What's more, I paid for a 30 day pass to the rock gym, the hope being that that will convince me to go back on a regular basis. There are activities in everyone's life that bring that person back to normal, if you will. Rock climbing is such an activity for me. It helps keep me grounded (pun intended!). Not only is it healthy for the body (I know this because I'm always sore afterwards, and that means it's good for you, right? If it hurts?), it is healthy for the mind too. It gives me something to work towards. Goals and challenges. And it makes me feel good because I am a decent climber, and I know that I can go to the gym and be at least average (even without having been there for so long).
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| You know, just me having a relaxing day on the wall. No big deal... |
Now, why do I bring all this up? Because, as I said, it's been a while since I've been climbing, and I think this has been a mistake. It's good to find something you're good at and then to do that thing. And it's good to find activities that keep you grounded in reality. When life gets complicated, it's nice to know that I have somewhere to go. A healthy outlet for my emotions. Climbing is this for me.
What do you do to feel normal?
~The Piebald Penguin
