What Lawrence said about pain...

The young alpinist Michael Gardner died this week in a climbing accident on the north face of Jannu East in Nepal’s Kangchenjunga region.  Although I didn't know Michael as well as I knew his father, I do know that his star shined brightly.  Searingly bright.  He once mentioned that he loved climbing so much he almost loved it as much as skateboarding.  I knew Michael's father George from my days in the Tetons and later I was on George's body recovery (along with Renny, Helen, and Marty) after he fell while soloing the Direct Exum Route on the Grand.  I recounted my friendship with George in a short piece called I Am That. 

Early reports had it that Michael fell over 2000' down the face. This is 12 seconds to think.                   I wonder if he thought of his father and wondered how long it would be before they were together again.  There are many questions still, but of this I am sure: for those of us who knew father or son, or those who knew both - our lives were enriched beyond measure.  

In the past year, I have been to five memorials and Michael's will be a sixth. And for some reason I can't get T.E. Lawrence out of my head. There's this scene early on in the film Lawrence of Arabia when Lawrence snuffs out the flame of a wooden match between his fingers and looks the other way.  A moment later, one of his colleagues - also a soldier in the English army - attempts to do the same.  

The younger soldier winces and cries out, That damn well hurts!
Lawrence replies, Certainly it hurts.
Well what's the trick then?
The trick is not minding that it hurts.  

I don't have an answer for you, only that this burns in my mind when I think about Michael, Rip, Bill, Jerry, Terry, and Frank. 

I miss them.