“What if my hand slips..?”

“What if when I jump, I swing and hit the tree?”

“Pshhh, what do they mean you will balance out naturally?”

The mosquitoes were thick, the air was grasping my throat like a heated blanket. The belayer asked “who wants to go first?” Swiftly, I raised my hand.. “I will!” If I was going to make a fool of myself, I had better get it done and over with!

As I fasten my helmet and harness, I tilt my head all the way back and look up. I was about to climb the Pamper Pole. The Pamper Pole is a activity for adventuress. It is a twenty five foot wooden pole. It was nearly as tall as the surrounding trees. The width? I could wrap one arm around it and with my hand and touch my body. So, basically it was a telephone pole!

“Alright, don’t worry ‘bout a thing." They Belayer said "When you get to the top, step up with one foot, and your body will naturally balance on top of the pole.”

“....It does?!”

“Yes! Also, make sure you do not grab on to your own rope, it may seem like a good idea... but it is not. It has been done before, and no good came out of it!”

“Alright, got it!”

Now she was tightening her gear to keep me safe; then she said the final words.

“Belay on?”

“Belay is on! May I climb?”

“Climb on.”

Oh man, what have I gotten myself into? All of a sudden, my stomach got this light, twisty, warm but yet cold feeling. Was I anxious? Excited? Confident? I had no idea! My hands started to tremble, almost as if I was the person about to get killed in a horror movie.

I decided to woman up. I just started going at it! Confidently planting my feet each step up the pole, I briskly grabbed and pulled myself up. There was a slight wind that would randomly push hair into my eyes and distract me.

Oh yeah, did I mention that this pole was wood? It had been there for years, worn with hundreds of other climbers. The little objects holding my hands and feet in place as I pushed myself up, were like little metal handles to a door.

“Oh my gosh.” I froze. The wind was silent on this hot sticky day. In fact, there was no wind at all… and the pole was moving, like a swaying metronome! Realizing this, I took more caution with every step. But the higher I went, it moved even more! “AHH!” I shrieked. My foot had slipped off of one of the little door handles. The Pamper Pole jerked and the belayer below braced me. I grabbed hold... I was going to finish this.

The sun was sinking it’s poison into my skin, but I was almost at the top Finally, I had made it... well almost. Again I womanned up. Like a crazy person talking to herself, I gave myself a little pep talk, and pushed myself up. I did it quickly. I didn't want to take my time, over think it, and lose my balance in the process. Hands flat on the surface of the wood, I was about to push myself up to stand on top of the pole, to have my feet on top of the world.

But then, of course, I managed to...

gracefully,

simply