SUMMIT

harsh conditions

To me, you were the greatest.
Every human being doesn't
come around without their own
curated survival bags, and first-
aid kits,

accumulated after years of ex-
perience, the trails that raise
you, the forests that claim you,
and the caves that hear your
screams.

You were meant to be a mentor,
someone I could look to for
guidance, specifically, someone
with your unique skill set and
perspectives in life.

If you didn't want to lead, why
did you volunteer? Why do you
come here, into the position of
offering your services for free
to those whose eyes are filled
with the stars, and the hopes,
and the dreams, looking to you
as their best and ultimate opportunity
to get them to the top of their
peaks?

If you don't like teaching, why then
do you spend your time teaching?
Have you convinced yourself that
somehow, someday, someone
will come along and save you from
yourself and from reality's harsh
conditions?

It's only the wisdom of walking in your
shoes, now being of the ages when you
first met me, and how much I am beginning
to understand that you haven't been as
kind and generous as I once believed.
Wrapped up in your teachings, you only
viewed yourself, and never truly had the
space for the rest of us, looking up at you.

So when one of your students falls, it
wasn't really your fault. They weren't
paying attention well enough, they were
going rouge and not listening.

Did you ever once consider that the
map you gave them was inaccurate,
and your faulty instructions overestimated
their abilities?