Struggles

MisterCattell Cattellwrote:

I want my life to be fun and full of people who are as excited to see me as I am to see them, I guess.  

Fun is something that must be maintained. People worth being around also must be maintained. Without that maintenance, it doesn't mean you'll never have it again, it only means that you'll need to put in the time again to reach fun with people who are as stoked as you. 

Mark Hudonwrote:

It’s nobodies job to make you happy, it’s not your wife’s job, it’s not your girlfriend’s, job it’s not your kids’ job, it’s not your friends’ job. It’s completely up to you.

That, and nothing ever stays the same, everything is always changing.

If you’re missing climbing, missing  Yosemite, Go back to Yosemite and open a new chapter in your life.

I'm not saying that it's up to others, at all.  My post was to see if others have felt the way I did.  Again it was also 1 in the morning when I posted this and was getting lost in my late night thoughts.  I do appreciate the insight and honesty but believe the original aim of my post has been lost.

I cannot add much to the many finely expressed viewpoints here… Other than you are not alone. Building a nest somewhere and committing to the career goals necessary to maintain it (at some point for most of us) becomes the focus.

Whatever you “do” (job) there is a tendency to become “that” thing. You slowly, almost imperceptibly, become part of a different culture where spontaneous adventure is no longer as convenient or appropriate. The responsibilities outside of climbing tend to slowly phase out the weekly/monthly get-togethers for many of us. I was 90’s Yosemite weekend warrior in my early climbing days and that’s what it feels like for me being on the other side of the bell curve.

Still… there is hope ! I fight that feeling of complacency and continue take a big trip or two somewhere each year. I still manage to climb locally on a fairly regular basis. I am lucky to have the support of my family to pursue that ever-elusive flow state (which seems to only come from this activity.) AND major props to the great people I’ve known, or met while out at the crags who share the passion.

(Edit: From your post NARP= Not Athletic Regular Person. Ha Ha! Had to look that up !)

I was more trying to say that it’s in your power to and come back and create a new experience.

I feel that climbing as an activity is unique in the sense that there’s a lot of pressure to feel that you need to be in getting after it 100% of the time. As a younger climber I feel it all the time seeing people my age doing 2-3 Walls a week when I do about 2 a year. It definitely makes me feel like I’m not a “real” climber because I have a career and can’t dedicate my entire life to the vertical pursuit.

It’s taken me a lot of time to come to terms with it but I’ve finally realized it’s TOTALLY OK TO BE A WEEKEND WARRIOR. Even if you do one wall a year, that’s more gnarly big walls done than the vast majority of the world, even of the major climbing community. You’re still a climber, but you also have more to define you outside the hobby and that is a good thing.

It’s easy nowadays to find some weekend warrior climbing partners online and go do some smash and grab ascents on a weekend with a day or two of PTO tacked on.

You all really have helped reform my perspective, and I really truly thank you all for your insights.  

The start of 2022 has been a bit of a misfire but I am really making a conscious effort to embrace it all, the ups and downs.