An endless journey and the pleasure therein

Today I participated in the American Lung Association Fight For Air Climb - this was my second year in a row participating in the event.  Each year the ALA raises money for a number of causes, including funding to provide free resources for those who are trying to quit smoking.  Those who know me know that I am a former smoker who never had much of a problem kicking the habit but who also believes in supporting (rather than judging) those who are having trouble.

But when it comes to cigarettes, to be honest I have a hard time believing that people still smoke.  It's an odd feeling when you quit - your sense of smell and taste are heightened sure, but it's almost as if you exist in another world where cigarettes are foreign and difficult to understand - a cultural anomaly.  And when I'm confronted with people who smoke, I want to support them but at the same time I want to ask them why in the hell they would choose to harm themselves in that way - even when I know all of the answers to that question! I smoked - I remember. So because I can go no further than support, I choose to lend a hand to an organization that can take it from there - I choose to raise money to help others quit or never start at all.

Four years ago I was a 210 lb smoker who had trouble making it up the stairs to my bedroom. Today, I am a 145lb non-smoker who climbed 70 flights of stairs in 11 minutes.  It's an amazing, rewarding experience to feel the power of my lungs and know that I re-claimed them - to know that they'll be strong and powerful when I need them most.  The money the ALA raised this year through this event will in part, hopefully, prove to others that they are worth that same experience.

I climb for those who cannot. I climb BECAUSE I CAN.