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October 15, 2009
Hill Difficult
This is my final story about a hill in Rhodes.
I have other stories, you see; so no, don't confuse me for some sad git who only has 'steep slope' stories. I've got plenty of others in my locker; loads - many of which don't involve uplands at all; not even a slight incline. I can do 'flat' stories as I will prove.
But this is a hill story, to remind us about the power of song. Because when me and my friend were climbing the final hill into Pefkos, I could see she was wilting. It's steep; very steep and I worry for every coach as they attempt it, expecting them to start rolling backwards at any moment. (Even though the Rhodean bus drivers are the best on earth, because they have to be.)
Anyway, we're walking up the hill, and my friend is wilting and mumbling about needing a 'short break' which is the last thing you want to do, so I start to sing a song my dad used to sing to me, and which I sang to my children, back in the day. Though lyrically undemanding, its a song specially designed for hills, and it goes like this:
'Climbing up, climbing up
Til you get to the top, the top.
Climbing up, climbing up,
Til you get to the top, the top.'
Its better with the music obviously; and though not great poetry, bears repetition. But it worked! I sang and my friend was given wings. Hah! The power of song, which is presumably why soldiers sing on route marches, and congregations sing in church.
And here's the punch line. For the last 70 yards of the hill, I stopped singing and made my friend run; and she found that she could. There was her thinking she she could barely walk any further; until she let the runner in her out to play.
Ah, the hidden strength within us! And sometimes it takes a hill to discover it...and a really classic song.
Posted by Mr Bojangles at October 15, 2009 04:41 PM