climbing blind

This week continues to be one  of slowly grinding into the new year - wisps of intentions come front and center with an Oh Yeah! There are so many things I want to do yet.  My body is not cooperating, though.  Things get crossed off my bucket list as it becomes impossible to be able to accomplish them physically, not because they've been done.  I do what I can do.
 Recently, I bought a Ponytail Hat made by Trailheads.

(that is not my hair, unfortunately.  yet another hairdresser felt the Dutch Boy look was perfect for me, so I start over)

Anyway, I have this hat.  With a Day-Glo yellow/green stripe.  and on the tag is the most amazing picture.  i had to see it a few times before it reached in and grabbed my heart, effectively stopping it briefly.  there is a dog on a rock ledge, looking up at a dangling rope.  okay, so he's waiting for his person to finish a climb.  so what?  look again.  the dog is wearing a halter that service dogs wear…his person is blind.  and climbing a mountain.  and i realized that if a blind person can climb a mountain, then damn it, i can do just about anything.  suck it up buttercup.  and THEN my brother gave me a book written by his childhood friend, Lawrence Rosenblum, called "See What I'm Saying…the extraordinary powers of our 5 senses."

And it's a great read, so far, but one of the first examples is of a mountain biking group.  they are blind. they use echolocation to stay the course (literally).  and again i think that i should be able to get to my goals.  as a side note, i think sighted people use echolocation in many ways also.  we, as a group of women gathering, ping out our thoughts and ideas and troubles, listening for the return from our HeartFriends…gathering ideas and data and feedback, then making our choices.  no wonder the bat has been working his magic in my life.

so with all this intention and determination that the new year typically brings, i am headed forward, propelled on by people climbing mountains who can't see the path, but are trusting their skill and instinct to get them to the top.  

Wishing you secure pitons as you climb, my friend.