To Climb A Tree

   It is the year 1992

 

   I was playing with my friends. They had a huge tree in their front lawn. We decided to climb it.

   I went first.

   I climbed a few inches, slipped a few inches, laughed the whole way.

   Oh, it was a coconut tree, by the way. 

   I tried and tried and I managed to get up a few more inches before slipping all the way down to the bottom.

   I laughed right all the way down, even as I landed on my bottom.

   I managed to rip my shorts along the way.

   A fact that we found hilarious.

   I tried, I failed, I picked myself up again and happily went my way.

   It is 2006

   I was out hiking with my friends. They wanted to go down to the first waterfall. I told them to go ahead without me because it looked like such a long way down.

   They went ahead and talked me into joining them.

   I went last.

   I was nervous that I would slip, even when my friends were waiting for me right there.

   I inched down slowly and yelled every time I felt my foot slide away.

   I managed to slide all the way down.

   I was relieved and excited.

   I did not want to do it, was talked into it, managed to do it [with a cheering section], and went my way.

   Oh, to be able to climb a tree, fall on my behind, pick myself up, and walk away without over-analysing why I failed again.