First Photo Submission

Just submitted my first photos for publication...One was excepted!  Can't wait to see what it looks like in print!

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Living on the Edge

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Originally uploaded by joneiche

I think there is something to be said for living on the edge. Life is a one time deal (unless you are Hindu) and to play it safe probably doesn't make it memorable. Now, as a caveat, when I say "living on the edge" I'm not talking about snorting a pound of coke, hopping on a motorcycle and pretending to be Evil Kenevil. That is foolish, and I would contend, over the edge.

Having just watched the Winter Olympics, I liken it to what many mogul skiers face before starting their run. There are three roads to choose from, 1) play it safe and make sure you finish, 2) throw all caution to the wind, roll the dice and see what cards you are dealt or, 3) push beyond what is comfortable while knowing that you can loose the line at any second and crash. The edge is the third choice, a calculated risk, pushing the limit on what we think we are capable of. Knowing failure is possible but still expecting success.

It is constantly a struggle to remind myself that life should be a challenge, and if it isn't, you aren't trying hard enough. I love the comfort of the couch, a cold beer in my hand and the UFC on Spike TV. However, the couch, the cold beer and the TV aren't memorable. They placate me, but do they really satisfy?

When I look back on my own life the things I remember, and that have value, are those uncomfortable moments, those moments of uncertainty, the times when fear grabs you by your chest and causes your mouth to turn to chalk. And instead of backing down you stop to recompose yourself and in doing so realize that your mouth is dry because you are hyperventilating but that you are one move from the top, and you push on because failure really isn't an option and because you CAN do it.....

I am an avid rock climber. I am told the sport is unsafe, dangerous, deadly, etc...etc...etc... It can be all of those things, and fortune can turn to disaster in a moments notice. But what draws me to the activity is that I have to be there. Not just my body, but my mind, my heart and my guts. Without all the pieces climbing is unsafe, deadly and dangerous. It is a full body sport. The challenge in climbing is in keeping yourself there, the whole time and not allowing yourself to become casual and comfortable. A successful day on the rock is when I get home tired, sore, bruised, a little bloody, and have a cold beer to close off the day, because all of it means I made it home alive.

I know that I struggle to live on the frontier of my capabilities because I fear failure. But deep down I know, as I think we all know, that if we don't explore our boundaries we will never be satisfied. What is the most disappointing for me is that although I am aware, I am easily persuaded to choose comfort over life and this rut is deep and wide. To forgo an easy life for experience is against most everything we have been told. But I would contend that deep down we all dream of adventure and of things unknown that we still need to conquer.

So as a reminder to myself, live each day as if it is your last, seek out the world, and never fail to reach beyond what you think you are capable of.

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