"Between a Rock and a Hard Place"
After my experience of being "trapped" in the bathroom, I came back to one of my favorite books of all time, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" by Aron Ralston.
It all started in one of my Outdoor Recreation classes when we had to do a book report of sorts on any outdoor-themed books. I sat and listened the the summaries and reviews the other people in my class gave and was curious to read some of them. The first book I went out to find was "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" by Aron Ralston. Long story short, he gets his arm trapped between a canyon wall and a large rock. Stranded for six days, far from civilization and out of food and water, he finally summoned the courage to break and sever his own arm just below the elbow.
Aron and the rock he tried desperately to lift using a system of pulleys.
This may sound gruesome, (and trust me, the pictures in the book are) but it's probably the best story of mind over matter, the breakdown of the human psyche, and the basic human survival instinct that I have ever, and probably will ever, read. To be allowed into the mind of someone with both feet in the grave, watching them slowly decay mentally and physically and then seeing how they are able, against all odds, to somehow fight their way back into the world of the living is incredibly inspiring and humbling at the same time.
With a specialized prosthetic that allows him to continue climbing to this day.
In reality, my five minutes locked in the bathroom was incomparable to Aron's imprisonment, but it got me thinking back to this amazing book and how much I really appreciate the life I live every single day. Thanks to those who've been in my life, supporting and loving me. I value each and every one of you for the influence you've had on my life and I will continue to do my best to make you proud of the person that I am. :)
It all started in one of my Outdoor Recreation classes when we had to do a book report of sorts on any outdoor-themed books. I sat and listened the the summaries and reviews the other people in my class gave and was curious to read some of them. The first book I went out to find was "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" by Aron Ralston. Long story short, he gets his arm trapped between a canyon wall and a large rock. Stranded for six days, far from civilization and out of food and water, he finally summoned the courage to break and sever his own arm just below the elbow.
Aron and the rock he tried desperately to lift using a system of pulleys.
This may sound gruesome, (and trust me, the pictures in the book are) but it's probably the best story of mind over matter, the breakdown of the human psyche, and the basic human survival instinct that I have ever, and probably will ever, read. To be allowed into the mind of someone with both feet in the grave, watching them slowly decay mentally and physically and then seeing how they are able, against all odds, to somehow fight their way back into the world of the living is incredibly inspiring and humbling at the same time.
With a specialized prosthetic that allows him to continue climbing to this day.
In reality, my five minutes locked in the bathroom was incomparable to Aron's imprisonment, but it got me thinking back to this amazing book and how much I really appreciate the life I live every single day. Thanks to those who've been in my life, supporting and loving me. I value each and every one of you for the influence you've had on my life and I will continue to do my best to make you proud of the person that I am. :)