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Yeah, full-time climbing and nothing else can be a drag if there isn't anything else going on in your life.

dustonian wrote:Yeah, full-time climbing and nothing else can be a drag if there isn't anything else going on in your life.

Did you always feel that way? Or predict that? As one who dreams of devoting more and more time to climbing in the pursuit of happiness, and in the name of passion, I'm curious.

I started feeling that way after a few years of full-time climbing. It started to lose context with nothing else to compare it to, and ultimately it's a pretty selfish/hedonistic way to live one's life... not really contributing much to the world and kind of living in a day-by-day animalistic sort of way (of course, you're not really TAKING much either, except for the usual absurd amount of gasoline typical climbers use). Maybe it's more meaningful if you're at the top end of the sport (5.15, new lines in the Himalaya, blah blah blah) but for average-ability climbers (ie. 5.13 and below) it's a sort of eternal vacation with no real objective except climbin' and chillin' all the time, dude. Anyway it wasn't enough for me--not that I don't miss that lifestyle now, like, almost every day... but I think it's a lot better in theory than in practice.

dustonian wrote:... but I think it's a lot better in theory than in practice.

I can see that and agree with it, to a point. I could never last more then 2-3 months at a time of road tripping. Just got burned out, or bored or something. There is a balance though, to much work isn't right either. Semi-retired, with stretches of full time employment to dig out of the hole, or build the trip funds isn't a bad way to go. I *hopefully* start a new job next week - first full time employment I have had in over a decade. Not looking forward to being up at 6:00AM every day, but I am really looking forward to the job - a chance to make a bit of a difference in the world, with maybe being able to set up the next job to be even more so. Oh, and a direct deposit every two weeks, and also for the first time in 10+ years, health insurance!

Damit Ray! Do I gotta haul you down the road to get some beer again?

balance between leisure and work, with the balance tipping toward leisure. that is the right mix.

I love my life because it's the only one I have...bitching won't change it.

But really I only hated my life when I was a self centered teenager, but I thought I had a worldly view and a great girlfriend. Turns out my girlfriend was a bitch and there was much more to the world than trying to make her happy.

The Tao of Pooh changed my perspective on everything after I read it. I learned to let life happen as it comes and live it as easily as possible, get high when I could, learn what I could, run, drink beer, climb things, and hang out with people who don't fit in.

So as life happens I just don't let many things bother me. I don't act like a pushover, but when shitty things happen or shitty people show up, I just let them fade from the picture. The government sucks...everywhere. The weather sucks everywhere. The world is slowly decaying and the conspiracy theorists think the end is coming, but whatever, fuck 'em. I love climbing and my family.

This isn't a cliche rave about how great life can be when you act like a hippie or new age wank. I have a shitty job but it pays the bills and I'll keep looking for a new one. I drive a 1995 grand prix. The last haircut I had was from my mom in December. I drink Milwaukee's Best because it's cheap; I can only afford La Fin Du Monde when my gracious friends buy it. This is a rant about returning to old school perseverance and perspective. I have met a lot of people living in shitty situations who loved their life, so I can't not love my life.

This.

One thing I do love about my life:

I work in a hospital, maybe its not like this everywhere, but there are so many clicks and very structured hierarchies and each one has an opinion about the other (hell its probably like that everywhere). People are always talking about other people behind their backs and I am sure I get my fair share of gossip when I am not around too. But what I like about my disposition, is that no matter who is talking behind which closed door, when I walk into a room, the conversation is paused only long enough to see that it is me, and then continued as it was before. I truly appreciate the fact that I have a reputation for not continuing the gossip train, and that any information I have does not get spread to the next room, even about the people I don't like, and therefore no conversation has to be stopped due to my presence, unless they are talking about me of course.

actually kramp, they find your dirtbag life so boring that they have no gossip to spread. or "Dr. Wanker" is code for, um...you.

I work in a circus. Most of the people here are pretty nice. the fat lady - marsha is really sweet and bakes us lots of cookies. Its a busy life sometimes but all in all i like it. The clowns used to scare me but when I got to know them they are all pretty cool guys. I am in the freak show and were not allowed to do too many things because people cant see us in public. Or else they wouldn't pay to see us - right? But even having to stay on the back lot isnt real real bad. The owners pay us cash so we never pay taxes. You get used to the animal pooh smells after a while - except when the elephants get the runs them OMG! I got my own travel trailer (i'm renting it from the owners but its going to be mine one day) and its fixed up ok. It's small but i dont need lots of stuff anyway. I wouldn't recommend circus life for everybody but for me it works out all right. And, you get to meet lots of nice people everyday!