In the final episode of The Wire, a bar-room wake is held for officer Jimmy McNulty. McNulty isn't dead, but his career in the Baltimore police force is irrevocably tarnished. McNulty the officer of the law is dead, and so he gets dressed up in a suit and he lies down on the table of an Irish bar, and his friends in the force fondly toast his memory. They give a rowdy send-off to a man who was very good at what he did, but who can never be a policeman again.
So too goes Paul, the climber, who has probably taken climbing as far as he can, but who still has friends who care enough to push him nine miles up the side of a mountain in Wales, to his own living wake, and to whatever comes after.
Grief comes at you from funny angles and in unexpected surges. You know that it's coming and that, when it comes, that you won't be able to do anything with it, other than bear it as best you can. It's out of sync with the world. When you expect to feel it, sometimes you feel nothing. When you are not expecting it, it can knock you off your feet, if you'll pardon the expression.
But you do have to go through it. You have to face it. Going to a high place with friends maybe sets the scene for it. Enjoy your two day excursion to Valhalla, Paul. I remain optimistic that there is a better future for you.
Good luck to you, Paul. You must be an amazing person to have such good friends. I hope all goes well and it give you whatever you want, or perhaps something else that you didn't know you needed. x
When I was in my early 20s I had a friend who was a paraplegic. We would push / carry him places. I remember going to a wild beach, pushing / carrying my friend & his wheelchair along a very long path of deep sand. (He had an adapted van, so he could drive us to the places.) I understand that there are fancy outdoor chairs you can get: we didn't have that so we did it ourselves. I am excited for you to get to the mountain. May the mountain gods favour your quest!
I meant to say a few posts back there is a book called Into the silence by Wade Davis and wonder if you have come across it. It is centred on Everest but is also very much in the shadow of the Great War. WW1 has long fascinated me and I am new to the mountain obsession. It is a piece of work that gives you a holistic perspective- like a bird passing over and the relentless pinning down in history. I love this book knowing nothing at all about the climbing about mountains about the mystical quest they all shared.
Anyway like I said - this is your journey journey. Enjoy it every moment.
In the final episode of The Wire, a bar-room wake is held for officer Jimmy McNulty. McNulty isn't dead, but his career in the Baltimore police force is irrevocably tarnished. McNulty the officer of the law is dead, and so he gets dressed up in a suit and he lies down on the table of an Irish bar, and his friends in the force fondly toast his memory. They give a rowdy send-off to a man who was very good at what he did, but who can never be a policeman again.
So too goes Paul, the climber, who has probably taken climbing as far as he can, but who still has friends who care enough to push him nine miles up the side of a mountain in Wales, to his own living wake, and to whatever comes after.
Grief comes at you from funny angles and in unexpected surges. You know that it's coming and that, when it comes, that you won't be able to do anything with it, other than bear it as best you can. It's out of sync with the world. When you expect to feel it, sometimes you feel nothing. When you are not expecting it, it can knock you off your feet, if you'll pardon the expression.
But you do have to go through it. You have to face it. Going to a high place with friends maybe sets the scene for it. Enjoy your two day excursion to Valhalla, Paul. I remain optimistic that there is a better future for you.
My absolutely favorite series, The Wire, it’s how I discovered the Pogues. There are so many heart wrenching characters but Wallace, dear Wallace…
Good luck to you, Paul. You must be an amazing person to have such good friends. I hope all goes well and it give you whatever you want, or perhaps something else that you didn't know you needed. x
Have a great time - all
best wishes to you and the team x
Only a small donation but I hope my piddly Australian dollars go towards helping-in some small way- all of us with spinal cord injuries.
When I was in my early 20s I had a friend who was a paraplegic. We would push / carry him places. I remember going to a wild beach, pushing / carrying my friend & his wheelchair along a very long path of deep sand. (He had an adapted van, so he could drive us to the places.) I understand that there are fancy outdoor chairs you can get: we didn't have that so we did it ourselves. I am excited for you to get to the mountain. May the mountain gods favour your quest!
He hated the word paraplegic so I feel a bit guilty using it here. Our code word was 'platypus'
Hope all goes well! Xx
Enjoy the climb, Paul.
This is a journey journey.
I meant to say a few posts back there is a book called Into the silence by Wade Davis and wonder if you have come across it. It is centred on Everest but is also very much in the shadow of the Great War. WW1 has long fascinated me and I am new to the mountain obsession. It is a piece of work that gives you a holistic perspective- like a bird passing over and the relentless pinning down in history. I love this book knowing nothing at all about the climbing about mountains about the mystical quest they all shared.
Anyway like I said - this is your journey journey. Enjoy it every moment.
Donated and wishing you a smooth ascent with some sun!!
Donated! You’ve raised so much money, it’s a testament to how much you mean to people ❤️ I hope it all goes really well!