the bottom of the middle of nowhere
last week, i finished reading a really fascinating book:
between a rock and a hard place, by aron ralston.
you know how everyone once in a while you stumble upon one of those books that entrances you to the point of being unable to separate the story from your own life? that was this book for me. well, the last half of this book anyway. i kept thinking about it when falling asleep, and talking about it in coversations... i almost made my roommates sick telling them some details, but i was so entranced by the story that i didn't realize what i was saying until too late.
at least i had the clarity of mind to cover (with my hand) the one gross picture from the color image collection partway through the book, while looking at the shots on the MUNI - no need to gross out an unsuspecting train-riding-neighbor!
summary: this guy, aron, is a very experienced rock climber who gets trapped in a canyon, under a boulder, in the middle of nowhere (utah). no food, no water. he eventually cuts his own arm off, lives to tell about it, writes this book, and in 6 months is climbing mountains again with prosthetic climbing attachments for his arm. insane.
the reasons i'm fascinated?
well, first, he actually lives in aspen, where my aunt/uncle/cousins live. i saw him briefly about a year after the accident, working in the mountaineering store in downtown aspen. just a glimpse, but it was definitely him.
the connection from that moment, being in aspen that summer, and from hearing the story on the news the year before, all piqued my interest. local folklore!
in the book, there are gorgeous color pictures of mount sopris (the view from my aunt's house), and the maroon bells. plus he tells about hikes, climbs, bike rides, places that i've been to/near/done. i can't help but be intrigued -- it's not really my life, but its a life i intersect with time and again because of my family.
but, this part (all in the beginning) also detracted from the story at hand. overall, the book is a bit slow to start. i suggest skipping some of it, if you don't have the patience to read someone else's hiking stories and near-brushes with death, particularly if you don't know the terrain he's talking about. it's not the "wild west travel guide" portion of the book that makes it a worthwhile read.
it's not even just the story about severing a body part that makes it worthwhile. more, it's the idea of being reborn... of having the strength, will, tenacity, and clarity of mind to focus on nothing but surviving... i mean, how do our brains DO that!? it's a story about recognizing your faults, prioritizing your life, about doing away with something that you think you need, but in the end doesn't mean as much to you as your life does -- or seeing your family and friends again.
would i have reacted the same way, if presented with the same situation???
aron does a great job with the imagery that he paints of his situation - not necessarily gory details of the amputation (they aren't that gory), but of the mental and emotional struggles that he goes through. the fear, the fascination, the uncertainty... to read about his physical and mental deterioration as it comes and goes in waves is remarkable... the mental journeys he takes himself on in the last days... the periods of anger, rationality, grief, even humor and optimism that he experiences from the moment the boulder falls until today... entrancing.
i won't lie -- there are some details not for the weak stomached (sorry cyn, freddy, conor). but they only make you think and question things otherwise unknown. like, what do our limbs look and feel like, internally? how does the body function in adverse conditions, when we push it to the extreme levels of its capacity? what does it take to keep our heart pumping and our lungs breathing in the absence of all the ammentities we've come to take for granted?
and finally, i can't help but question: how the hell is aron so coherent through it all? i mean, i know his memory isn't perfect, so his book may make the situation seem more controlled than it actually was (or felt) at the time -- but his details about the event as it unfolds are crystal clear.
he was trapped for 6 days, lost 40 lbs, and a 1.5 liters of blood. and not only was he still functioning, but he was alert, in control, and calm. completely fascinating.
between a rock and a hard place, by aron ralston.
you know how everyone once in a while you stumble upon one of those books that entrances you to the point of being unable to separate the story from your own life? that was this book for me. well, the last half of this book anyway. i kept thinking about it when falling asleep, and talking about it in coversations... i almost made my roommates sick telling them some details, but i was so entranced by the story that i didn't realize what i was saying until too late.
at least i had the clarity of mind to cover (with my hand) the one gross picture from the color image collection partway through the book, while looking at the shots on the MUNI - no need to gross out an unsuspecting train-riding-neighbor!
summary: this guy, aron, is a very experienced rock climber who gets trapped in a canyon, under a boulder, in the middle of nowhere (utah). no food, no water. he eventually cuts his own arm off, lives to tell about it, writes this book, and in 6 months is climbing mountains again with prosthetic climbing attachments for his arm. insane.
the reasons i'm fascinated?
well, first, he actually lives in aspen, where my aunt/uncle/cousins live. i saw him briefly about a year after the accident, working in the mountaineering store in downtown aspen. just a glimpse, but it was definitely him.
the connection from that moment, being in aspen that summer, and from hearing the story on the news the year before, all piqued my interest. local folklore!
in the book, there are gorgeous color pictures of mount sopris (the view from my aunt's house), and the maroon bells. plus he tells about hikes, climbs, bike rides, places that i've been to/near/done. i can't help but be intrigued -- it's not really my life, but its a life i intersect with time and again because of my family.
but, this part (all in the beginning) also detracted from the story at hand. overall, the book is a bit slow to start. i suggest skipping some of it, if you don't have the patience to read someone else's hiking stories and near-brushes with death, particularly if you don't know the terrain he's talking about. it's not the "wild west travel guide" portion of the book that makes it a worthwhile read.
it's not even just the story about severing a body part that makes it worthwhile. more, it's the idea of being reborn... of having the strength, will, tenacity, and clarity of mind to focus on nothing but surviving... i mean, how do our brains DO that!? it's a story about recognizing your faults, prioritizing your life, about doing away with something that you think you need, but in the end doesn't mean as much to you as your life does -- or seeing your family and friends again.
would i have reacted the same way, if presented with the same situation???
aron does a great job with the imagery that he paints of his situation - not necessarily gory details of the amputation (they aren't that gory), but of the mental and emotional struggles that he goes through. the fear, the fascination, the uncertainty... to read about his physical and mental deterioration as it comes and goes in waves is remarkable... the mental journeys he takes himself on in the last days... the periods of anger, rationality, grief, even humor and optimism that he experiences from the moment the boulder falls until today... entrancing.
i won't lie -- there are some details not for the weak stomached (sorry cyn, freddy, conor). but they only make you think and question things otherwise unknown. like, what do our limbs look and feel like, internally? how does the body function in adverse conditions, when we push it to the extreme levels of its capacity? what does it take to keep our heart pumping and our lungs breathing in the absence of all the ammentities we've come to take for granted?
and finally, i can't help but question: how the hell is aron so coherent through it all? i mean, i know his memory isn't perfect, so his book may make the situation seem more controlled than it actually was (or felt) at the time -- but his details about the event as it unfolds are crystal clear.
he was trapped for 6 days, lost 40 lbs, and a 1.5 liters of blood. and not only was he still functioning, but he was alert, in control, and calm. completely fascinating.
posted by megan at
1:47:00 PM
2 Comments
