What do old rock climbers do?

Sticking with it

Invent new climbing shoes, of course! I felt a serious sense of comeradery with Charles Cole, developer of the "Stealth" rubber that's used on the soles of the world's finest climbing shoes. When he tumbled off a 1 foot climb blaming it on being "old,fat, and out of shape", I was convinced he is really just an extension of ME.

Grant you I have never climbed a rock, but that's just because I've never had the chance. My adventure years were spent aboard a sailboat, and back then you didn't find many rock climbing walls at sea! (We know they're out there now because we hear about them on the adverts for some cruiseship or other.)

I also warrant that the Charles Cole version of me has been a little more successful than ME, but perhaps that's just a matter of perspective. I prefer to think that his success just came first. The potential certainly exists for ME to be as successful if not more so.

To be serious for just a moment, what this man does, and what I strive to do is to use what we know. Cole took his passion for climbing and used it to create something where there was nothing. That's what I do every day when I get up and write for those who want to work outside the 9 to 5 realm. The business of living a life apart is what I've always been about -- both as a 20 something kid and now as a housebound Mommy. My passion is still about living the adventure, and I want to share that with others.