The Spectacular View

There was a man and a woman and they loved each other very much, but neither one of them knew it yet. Early one day they decided to climb a large mountain, and look at the spectacular view together. The first stages of the climb were relatively easy, and weren't too demanding on the two of them. Each enjoyed each others company very much. As they climbed higher the mountain became steeper, and the climb became more difficult. Both the man and woman agreed that even though that the climbing may get a little tough that they were going to make it to the top of the mountain and enjoy the spectacular view together. They continued, each assisting one another during the tough spots. As the day wore on they got closer to their destination.

Within sight of the crest of the mountain they encountered a shear cliff rock face, there worst obstacle yet. They both stood on the edge at the bottom of it and were trying to figure out away to get up it. Feeling the effects of the climb upon her the woman decided to rest, and sat down with her back to the cliff. Before her lay a spectacular view. She looked up at the man and said, "Sweetheart, come rest with me for a moment, and take in this spectacular view." The man was in deep solving problem mode and just looked at her and grunted. He was busy in deep thought trying to figure out away up the cliff face.

The man then looked at the woman and said, "Look I've figured out away to climb this cliff face. I'll take off my shoes and socks, and sticking my fingers and toes in the crevices, I'll edge myself up. When I get up there I'll reach down and pull you up. It may be a little painful, but I can do it." The man proceeded to take off his shoes and socks.

The woman then stood up and looked at the shear cliff face before her, then she looked over the edge that they were standing upon and saw how far down it was. They'd come along way she thought to herself. Meanwhile the man had started to edge himself up the cliff face, got a few feet up, slipped, and fell back on the edge, cursing quietly under his breath. The woman watching said to herself, "Nope, this is not going to work." Out of concern she grabbed him just as he was about to try it again and said, "Sweetheart, just hold on a minute here. Let's stop a minute and think this through. If you were to make it half way and slip you could fall to your death." The man said to her, "Don't worry I got the hang of it now, I won't slip." And he started to climb again.

The woman grabbed him a second time and said, "Look I'm serious, this is dangerous. Lets call it a climb, sit here, and take in this spectacular view together." The man looked at the woman and a little angrily said, "Look I can climb this thing, have a little faith in me." And again he started to climb. The woman getting a little angry herself grabbed the man a third time and said, "Listen to me will you, we didn't climb up here so that one of us could die. We came up here to take in the spectacular view together." Her voice softened and with tears swelling up in her eyes she then said, "All my life I've been waiting for the right man to come along, and I think it might be you. Your right there's the probability that you can make it up, but there's also the probability that you could fall to your death. If anything were to happen to you, I'd be terribly hurt, and I don't wish to live the rest of my life without you." Then mustering all the strength and courage she could she then said, "We either sit here and enjoy the view together, or we part company and I head back alone?"

The man was stunned, he'd had never had a woman stand up to him like this before. In fact, she reminded him of himself. He noticed the tears in her eyes and thought about what she had just done and said. All of a sudden he just realized something, the climb didn't matter, the view didn't matter, but what mattered the most to him was this woman standing before him. His eyes moistened as he looked into her eyes and said, "I'd be deeply hurt if anything were to happen to you, too." They then lovingly embraced each other.

Later as they were sitting there taking in the spectacular view he looked at her and said, "Hey listen, its not like the mountains going anywhere, I know where we can get some professional climbing equipment and if you like we can come back next week." The woman looked at him smiled, and then laughed. She then said, "I wonder what the view would look like up here late at night. Do you think, maybe, we could get some over-night camping gear." The man looking her in the eyes, smiled and softly replied, "Absolutely..."

There could have been a hundred different endings to this story. Fortunately for these two it was a happy one. Why is that?

            Timothy E. Stevenson   1994©
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