Todd Skinner, A Pioneer in Free Climbing, dies at 47

I was reading the New York Times Obituaries because that’s what I do with my free time and there was the obituary of Todd Skinner, a Pioneer Free Climber who died at 47. I clicked the link and it told about his life, the places he climbed and about his death. He fell. He was climbing a mountain in Yosemite and he fell to his death. And its so graffic and it makes me want to sit in my womb chair at home and write in my journal.

But then I read on. He’s been climbing his whole life. That’s his thing. He didn’t buy a house or condo. He lived in a tepee tent near the rocks he wanted to climb so that they were right there when he woke up and it kept his cost down which helped him travel around the world to climb more and more exotic rocks.

Am I single handedly living my dream like him? Thats what I wondered. He lived his passion. Am I living mine? My 9-5 which is really like 3pm-11pm and then 6:30am – 3:30am and then God knows what else 365 days a year is not my passion.

I believe in thinking of death, he would not have it any other way.
I feel the same for James. In having to die, he would rather it be in Israel while on his way to give supplies to those in need.

In this given moment, could I die..and would it not be in vain?

This is morbid. I know.

But its also relevant. Its a reminder to live what I care about. Do I care about that hotel? I like the people I meet. I love my benefits. I just got a raise. I like the potential. But I wouldn’t want to die while running the X report. My boss said she could be there twenty years and be completely happy. Me. No. I couldn’t die in the back office while filling out my due back slip.

Where am I willing to die? It all depends on how I’m choosing to live.

So many things need to change in my life.
Lydia, I am soon to be on my way.

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