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You couldn’t tell he was in pain; a master of disguising discomfort he seemed invincible. How could a man of seventy nine and supposedly chronically arthritic attempt the summit of Kilimanjaro?

One of the tricks is walking very, very slowly (pole pole) so the rarefaction of the air is gradually accommodated. Walking slowly...he could sure do that!

Was it a cocktail of heavy painkillers? Apparently not lest the pressure of the extreme might induce side-effects. Dietary changes? No.

He said “When you want something so bad you can conquer anything.”

Guinness at the summit, but it wasn’t a record.

3 comments add one below

  • avatar

    T. Willemann almost 9 years ago

    Like the concept of pole pole - love the drabble.

  • avatar

    D.M. almost 9 years ago

    Perhaps this is also an analogy for writing, as with Thomas' last drabble.
    One of my mentors would often write one sentence a day and perfect it, until
    years later, he had a novel (quite a summit!). Alistair MacLeod, No Great Mischief.

  • avatar

    Michael D. Brooks almost 9 years ago

    Neville, nice allegory of human achievement and perseverance. D.M., I'll drink to that.

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