"I'm just sitting here all alone with beads of sweat pouring down my lithe and supple figure, reading a touching story about..."  it was something about a girl and a peanut.  Really, it's nearly irrelevant.  She recited these lines over and over as if she were going to perfect them and get the role in some Hollywood movie.  It was just a play, she already had the part, and we were in high school, no less.

I laid there and listened until she finally broke the jabber filled silence and said, "I'm dating Randy."  I'll never forget the jolt of pain that shot through my entire body.  "Your what?"  I half exclaimed but my voice was a bit broken due to the instantaneous tears.  She went on to tell me that she really liked him and he wasn't going to ever hurt her.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I couldn't believe she was even torturing me with the syllables, the consonants, the vowels that made up his name.

He raped me.  It had only been a few years.  I was only 15 when it happened.  Why?  The questions, the thoughts, the terror, of the past, of the future, for her.  I was overwhelmed with thoughts of how she would/could do this to me, to herself.  Had she no pride in herself as a person?  She knew it was the truth.  He had confessed so to her.

I had to break things off with her.  I told her if she was dating him that I could not be her friend.  I couldn't stand next to her as he hurt her like he did me.  I couldn't face him, I shouldn't have to face him.  He took the only thing that kept me innocent in the eyes of the world.

It only took two weeks.  Two weeks.  Then she called me and she said he assaulted her.  He grabbed her by her hair in the same way he did me.  He threw her on the couch and tied her arms as she struggled to free herself.  She told me she only got in one good kick before he had so much pressure on her body and she was so tightly bound that she was unable to free herself.  All the while, as she gave every detail, I felt nothing for her.  I did not feel sorry that she had been hurt.  I told her and she knew.

I received the phone call last week that she was in prison.  Some people never recover from the toll life can take on them, some never recover from the hurts people place upon them.  She never recovered. 

I wonder if it's too late for me to be her friend again.  It's been about 12 years, can time be too much?

The only way to conquer life's mountains is one step at a time, drink plenty of water, and only take short breaks when needed.  I was 25 before I realized the importance in not just the breaks but in timing them.  If you don't time them, you will soon discover a lot of time wasted and you're still at the bottom of your mountain.

Here are some more rules for tackling mountains:

Be sure to pack well.  You don't want to carry more than what is necessary but you also don't want to find yourself without anything to quench your thirst or fill your voids of hunger.

Be sure to dress appropriately.  It is inevitable that life will send down the rain.  If you're prepared for it, you won't get nearly as wet.

Get plenty of rest, but don't sleep the day away.  Without proper rest you won't have the energy to tackle your day.

Wear the right shoes.  Don't try to wear someone else's, they might be too big.  Don't wear the wrong ones for the occasion or you won't be comfortable.

Bring your safety gear!  If you're unprepared, if you put your guard down, you may fall.  Even worse, you may fall hard. 

Now then, one last thing:  Don't forget to map out the best route!