Klickitat's Rant

[klickitat]

I have a gripe with a certain type of mentality. We all know people who are like this. They are the people who are scared; afraid to act, afraid of the dark, afraid of the unknown, afraid of death, afraid of failure, but mostly they are afraid to live.

I see it every day. A person goes out and tries something that seems foolish, dangerous or even just a waste of resources and a handful of people will jump them and berate them because they want to discourage their behavior.

WHY? Most of the time the person doing the discouraging will make the claim that it is for the good of the person they are discouraging. BULLS**T! They are doing it because they are afraid themselves.

I know guys who hunt hogs with spears, guys who hunt on the ground 20' from a bear bait. I know people who jump out of air planes, fish in Alaska, climb mountains and go off into the woods with nothing for days and weeks.

Those are just a few examples of people who have done foolish and dangerous things. Everyone of them had to do it for the first time with no experience. They make mistakes and things can and do go wrong, but they actually had an adventure.

The difference with people who are willing to do and those who criticize, those who do, do so because life needs to be lived, those who criticize are just afraid.

To those who are afraid; make your back up plans three deep, let any excuse talk you out of it. Let your childish fear keep you home with the nurse maids. Your constant criticism only tells the world that you do not belong in a man's world.

To all those who do; please post your adventures and encourage the younger generation. If you die, then I will raise a drink to a fellow adventurer who lived.

[Justin Case]

when I was in The fire department a guy named Ron was an avid climber,, even climbed Everest ,,, (or one of those big ones) anyway, He couldn't cut it as a Firefighter because he was afraid to go into a burning building,, he just couldn';t do it,, I have no interest in climbing because I am afraid of those kinds of heights,, But I Love to fly,, go figure,,

[Alaskan Survivalist]

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once"

Shakespear

[Rick]

I'm afraid those kind of folks are a bit crazy.

[Ken]

You mean stuff like climbing cliff faces and vertical slopes? Ice climbing? Technical ascents? Rappelling down the sides of cliffs, high rise buildings, and bridges? Entering burning buildings? Open ocean scuba diving? Week-long solo treks through the Pemigewasset Wilderness? Skiing down Tuckerman's Ravine? Spending three days alone on Nomans?

Are you crazy? Only a lunatic or a kid would do that stuff.

[Ken]

And then, of course, my mother forbade me from taking a sky-diving class, "WHILE YOU'RE LIVING IN THIS HOUSE!"

.......... but it was okay when my younger brother completed airborne training.

[BENESSE]

People should be able to do whatever foolish/brave/insane/misguided/ballsy thing they want to do provided no one else pays the price but themselves. That's my approach to whatever I'm doing.

[Rick]

Most of that stuff is preceded by, "Hey ya'll, watch this!"

[your_comforting_company]

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[your_comforting_company]

or "Trust me, I do this all the time..."

[Ken]

"Watch! No hands!"

[finallyME]

I guess that depends on what it means to live, and what a man is. It also depends on the adventure. A real man doesn't live for himself, but for others. He is concerned with the safety of others around him, especially his family. He heeds the call of duty to defend his country and the freedom of others. A real man doesn't need to run off for adventure and leave his family to care for themselves just so he can prove to the world that he is a real man.

[letslearntogether47]

I've never really had to deal with a conformist,or maybe not have perceived that a conversation was leading in that direction.I would think it is a bigger danger to think that someone wants you to conform,but is really just giving you sound advice.
But,it sounds like you're able to discern between the "nah" crowd and the ones get out and have fun,but still do it safely.
After all it's ultimately your decision what fork in the road to take.

Wikipedia-Although peer pressure may be viewed as a negative trait, conformity can have either good or bad effects depending on the situation. Driving safely on the correct side of the road is a beneficial example of conformity. Conformity influences the formation and maintenance of social norms and allows society to function smoothly and predictably.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I guess that depends on what it means to live, and what a man is. It also depends on the adventure. A real man doesn't live for himself, but for others. He is concerned with the safety of others around him, especially his family. He heeds the call of duty to defend his country and the freedom of others. A real man doesn't need to run off for adventure and leave his family to care for themselves just so he can prove to the world that he is a real man.

This is not about being a man. Many women have great attributes and adventures.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

What annoys me are the ones that say "Look at that guy! He's having fun, let's call the cops"

[Ken]

What annoys me are the ones that say "Look at that guy! He's having fun, let's call the cops"

Yeah. Just try spending a nice afternoon diving into a river from a bridge. Guaranteed, by the time you climb up for your third dive, an official greeting committee will be waiting for you.

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[klickitat]

"Men" and "WoMen" are inherently responsible. Children give no regard to their responsibilities for others or have none.

There was a better term used above, so let's insert it here. The Valiant vs. The Cowards

[Justin Case]

"Men" and "WoMen" are inherently responsible. Children give no regard to their responsibilities for others or have none.

There was a better term used above, so let's insert it here. The Valiant vs. The Cowards

What are you afraid of ?

[Rick]

I'm sure Christopher McCandless would agree.

[klickitat]

I'm sure Christopher McCandless would agree.

The man lived. If some one makes a mistake driving and dies do we go after them and berate them? NO. Christopher McCandless lived his life the way he wanted.

I raise my glass to an Adventurer!