The Climb

There’s this park near where I live that has a very long stairway, only a part of which is in the picture above. It’s long, it’s steep, and there are a lot of stairs. I could very easily take the city streets around the park, which are relatively flat and much easier to navigate, but I always choose to take this route.

It may seem silly, but I do it because on the way up I get to feel every single one of those steps; because at the top I get to feel the relief and sense of accomplishment that come when my muscles are screaming, and my lungs are burning, and I walk up that last step and it’s over; because when I get to the top I can look back down and see where I came from.

Two years ago I wouldn’t have been able to do this, so now I appreciate that I can. And every time, when I get to the top, I'm reminded that the harder route is actually the better route, and the long climb is actually worth it.