Boulderactive 2012

Boulderactive 2012 happened quickly like a flash, an on-sight flash! The entire weekend of pulling and pushing and jumping and falling took sweet memory straight down to the core of fibers running through the entire body.  Now I definitely feel it.  It might have been the adrenaline surge that kept me together for the duration of the elimination round.  Now, after a flushing, I do feel the strain. Before anything, there is due congratulations to all the winners and the participants. Also of great note, Yuji and Kim truly did a very, very impressive job during the event.  The results were really very astonishing.  Weaknesses and strengths were greatly revealed and the many aspects of climbing were put to the test.  

Realization is seeing through the creamy white foam atop a mug of a frothy ice cold beer, downing the ale, going past the white clouds, taking in the bitter cold brew until it hits you.  You then set on a spiral down an alley to face angels and demons, which to me may both be the same.  Contradictions face you head on and you begin a “randori” like question and answer portion of an internal “are you smarter than a 6^th grader” game show inside your head.

The whole transition is best disposed off on a walk through “The Maze of Mustafa”.  The whole experience is casually diluted through a blurry walkabout through high shelvings of slightly disastrous laughter until the time when brain activity ceases and darkness surrounds slowly collapsing eyelids.  The body falls limp, the noise begins to sound muffled and the last you hear is the beating of your own heart.

Waking up sober and clearheaded, the entire experience begins to sound foolish while a fresh perspective, positive and unselfish transforms the day to a happier one.  I’ve never felt stronger than now.  I’ve never felt more sure than ever before that I’m on my way back to form.  I just found out though that it takes only one problem to collapse all that.  Sounds a bit too dramatic but, yes, I think just enough might be what’s needed to set the journey on a bittersweet note.  Finishing poorly is an understatement and details might best be kept to a secret.  I could think of a handful of reasons to justify what happened but that will not be a ninja thing to do. 

In the end, there is only one sheet of paper that would tell the story by numbers.  Perhaps this part of the story, the annotated version, the behind the scenes take, the outtakes, is not the final chapter.  This is just one of those conflicts that dyes the scenes red, blue or yellow.  It might be that this is a necessary turning point that helps me realize what else needs to be done.

There is something of great note however.  While my personal dilemma begins to unfurl, something more inspiring surfaces.  There is the stepping up front from the team.  The focus shifts and the direction of the whole story turns another direction.  The team steps up with courage and strength.  Jason was exceptional on the boulder problems.  Stan and Jose pushed it.  Sig is definitely coming out.  Bernadette made it to the Intermediate Women’s Finals and Krissie, Ia and Kat all were brave in facing up to be next at bat. These steps are all that is needed.  The roads on these journeys are not at all smooth paved highways.  While some have already started coasting, the hardest part is always the initial twitch.  Try moving a parked car by pushing.  It’s always tougher moving it from a stationary position but once its moving, it’s own momentum creates lesser friction.  Such a geeky proposition does apply and I continue by saying, just keep going and for sure soon you’ll feel the waves going with you than against you.  

Bravery was at its highest, friendships became stronger, bonds tighter and trust deeper, knowing all will be better.  I have to say I’m very impressed the way this part of the story twists.  Resolve, desire . . . I look back and see eyes staring back at me wide and sparkly.  Good signs indeed.

Question is…how long do we write it?  How long do we keep the pages turning?  Perpetually?  It will be your own and you decide which way it will go.  From training, to pizza rewards, to slight injuries…from humid warm nights at “The Hive”, to crossing the wide intersection whilst avoiding being hit while yawning all the way to get breakfast…from getting my foot stuck between the MRT doors, to leaving behind a friend, to going separate ways, to meeting up again…from squeezing every ounce of juice from the holds, to jumping high as possible, to falling down hard…from one of the longest isolation ever, to the fastest cycle times…from feeling down to being lifted by the future’s possibilities…

I don’t see how there’s a blue ending to this promising golden morning.  There could be a little drama but I guess a little bit of pepper in the eyes is what we need.