I Read Many Books About Heroes and Crooks and Learned Much From Both of Their Styles

One of my favorite parts about this job is that it is so much more than simply a “job”. For an entire summer, I get paid to backpack around some of the most beautiful country in the entire world (which is fantastic in and of itself), but more importantly I get to spend each week with people who are participating in a once in a lifetime experience.

On many an early summit morning, I have quoted a statistic to my bleary-eyed campers that may or may not be true. I tell them with absolute certainty that if they work themselves out of their stupor they will have the chance to join the 1% of the world that has ever stood on the summit of a mountain. If you asked me to verify that stat with empirical evidence, I would probably not be able to provide you with any definitive data, but the point remains, climbing mountains is a difficult and challenging experience that is not part of the world’s regular activities.

With all of that said, the true joy during my time here in Colorado has nothing to do with standing on the summit of a mountain 13,000-14,000 ft. in the azure blue sky. Instead, I am continually reminded that the secret to finding joy in life often has nothing to do with the destination but is all about how one enjoys the journey with its myriad twists and turns. As I told the group from the Southlake Blvd. Church last night, the most powerful memories that I will take away from our time together are not the 45 minutes that we spent on top of Mt. Ouray (13,971 ft.), but are the moments that I saw them become a living example of what the Christian community can be in its best moments.

Current Reading: Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II’s Most Dramatic Mission by Hampton Sides

I’m not really sure why I ordered so many books that deal with warfare and extreme environments this summer, but perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I am comforted by reading accounts of individuals who have survived in conditions that are much worse than the ones that I find myself in currently.

I am trying to hold to my current pace of reading at least one book per week while I am out on trail but a quick glance at my bookshelf indicates that I have some thick tomes ahead on the schedule this summer. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to Joe DiMaggio: the Hero’s Life by Richard Ben Cramer and Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Gharib by Seymour Hersh.

Hopefully, I will be able to post pictures from the past week on Mt. Ouray later tonight. To end this post, I would like to send a special message out to Mr. Austin Henley. Austin, you would be glad to know that I took care of young Carson Henley this week and he might be the funniest Henley that I have met so far, with no disrespect intended to yourself.