another Year In The Books!

I'm not sure when, precisely, I stopped giving much thought to getting older. Five, Ten and Fifteen were all good years, looking forward to all the trappings of adult life. Twenty, Twenty five and Thirty had me beating my head against the wall, looking back and wondering what the rush to get here was all about. Along the way I acquired an illness that would become my constant companion for as many years as it chose to behave. And it brought along some friends, none of which are pals of mine.

Nonetheless, each day got easier despite assignment to a wheelchair at Thirty Five, and developing some other, minor deviations from the norm. The chair became a challenge, mostly - a challenge to myself and to the many who believed that such a cruel existance was the end of the line. Needless to say (at least to those who know me well or have read of me or seen me on TV) that little notion was disproved, and by Forty Five I had solidified my place as "America's #1 Wheelchair Hiker" (Tom Stienstra, SF Chronicle) or as the one who spawned "How the hell did you get up to the top of this mountain?" as a common greeting from hikers everywhere.

Here's the best part - from Fifty on, I've felt younger, stronger, more energetic than ever. With each new trail, new mountain, new state there is an accompanying new challange. And have I said that I adore challenges? For this year, maybe I'll have time and funds to head to Tanzania and close down Kilimanjaro without assistance. Maybe I'll FINALLY be able to keep up with Fireman Matt at Livermore's Relay for Life this summer and pace him all 24 hours. Maybe I'll do my long planned Sierra crossing - from east to west over Kearsarge Pass. Each week or weekend will be a gas, though, as I rarely fail to have a good time.

So now it's Fifty Six, an unthinkable number at Fifteen ("56? Your blood boils if you walk too fast!") but both the energy and commitment are still there. Most of all, I hope to be on the road meeting as many of you as I can. Life is all about the people, you see, because we're here for each other - to share ideas, thoughts, successes and failures....and keep coming back for more. So here's to another year - with good friends, whether I've met them yet or not!