The Weight of the Climb

I spent this morning trying to organize my bookshelf, pulling out volumes I haven’t touched in years. My hands were dusty and my back started to ache, but I kept going, driven by the strange need to see everything in its proper place. It is funny how we punish ourselves with these small, difficult tasks just to feel a sense of order. We sweat, we struggle, and we complain about the effort while we are in the thick of it. Yet, the moment we step back and look at the finished result, the exhaustion seems to evaporate. We forget the cramped muscles and the frustration. We only see the quiet satisfaction of having reached the top of our own little mountain. It makes me wonder if the struggle isn’t just a tax we pay for the view, but the very thing that makes the view worth having. What is the last thing you worked hard for, only to realize the reward was simply the peace of being finished?

Sanjoy Sengupta has captured this feeling perfectly in his image titled The View of the Bay. It reminds me that some of the most beautiful sights are reserved for those who don’t mind a bit of a climb. Does this scene make you want to lace up your boots and start walking?