17 Individuals Died Trying What 2 Partners Accomplished

MEN DON’T SHUN PARTNERSHIP

The biggest misconception of man is we detest partnership. Women pray for an equal. Women strive for egalitarian relationships. Many say men want wives not partners. This is only half true. Men want partners. Men need them. The truth is most don’t want true partnership. Many women pick and choose. Many accept what is easy and shun what is hard.

That’s why men say they want wives. A wife’s burden is heavy. A partner’s burden is enormous. Are you sure you’re a true partner?

There’s no better explanation than a story.

This is my story. A total nonfiction. It’s absolute truth. My story is more than entertaining. My story illustrates a 1% earning, emotionally available masculine man’s requirements for a partner.

So…read on.

THE BASE

Here we are. We spoke about this. Before we came, I listened. The conversations were always intense. Emotions were easy to read. My partner knew exactly what was required. I often wondered after our conversations, “Can we really do this?”

My partner had a vision. I knew what it was. I could see passion. Eyes are windows to the soul. The soul was an ember which blazed up through its windows. The ember burning through my partner’s eyes could spark wildfire to burn California to ashes. Despite this passion…I had reservations.

It wasn’t because I didn’t care.

It wasn’t because I wouldn’t offer support.

It wasn’t because I wasn’t willing to help my partner.

I was staring at a dream which required more than help. I needed to do more than offer support. My words of love and affection weren’t enough.

So…I came to Angel’s Landing. A place where many have died.

I had to be here. I had to push hard. I had to confront fear. There was a harsh truth I had to reconcile.

This reconciliation was no easy feat.

“Was I willing to labor up a path 17 people died on?”

There was a lot of thought put into this question. Looking at my partner I knew the answer. I could not stare into my partner’s eyes and say no.

This wasn’t about an experience. This wasn’t about living life to our fullest. This wasn’t about doing something exciting. I needed to be here because my partner could not accomplish their goals without me.

That person had to be me. My partner’s dream required two people. As a professional hair stylist, you need a person to perform your craft. My partner’s dream was to be the first hair professional to conduct their craft on the top of Angel’s Landing.

This would bring social media notoriety and probably a Guinness world record.

I had to go. I needed to be there. I had to walk step in step. This joint effort was the only way to accomplish a shared goal. This was a goal only two people could accomplish.

So…I looked over. Our eyes met. There were only two words to say. So, I spoke them.

“Let’s go.”

THE INITIAL CLIMB

My partner almost died.

My entire being mustered a force which propelled me to an unheard level of speed. I lunged to the edge of a cliff face. I grabbed with a force to shatter titanium.

I would not lose my partner. I pulled as hard as I could.

The experience was surreal. The only words I could speak were, “You should have let the wasp sting you!”

Instincts are instincts. I get suddenly jumping to avoid pain. My anger wasn’t anything other than my heart instinctively knowing what it knew.

Mothers, fathers, brothers…friends…I would not face any of these people to tell them somber news. I would not watch as anguish, pain and depression washed over their faces.

I would protect everyone from this experience.

I would not be the person who watched a true loved one fall to their death.

Even if it meant I had to die trying. This is the level of commitment I have for the safety of my partner. Life and death. Sickness and in health. These are real words.

Words don’t mean anything from people known to speak without action. My words matter. I speak them because I do them.

Did I get a thank you?

Well sort of.

It was more of disbelief. The words were, “I can’t believe I almost walked off this ledge. You just saved my life.”

Even now. Processing it a day later…I can only begin to contemplate the impact of saving my partners life. I don’t how many people can speak those words. I’m betting most hope they could be spoken…but few know if those words are true.

Who truly knows if their partner has what it takes to save them?

Knowing your partner will save your life will always be something you have to see to believe.

This is how our climb started. We still had a lot to go. We hadn’t even made it to Scout’s Landing.

THE STORM WHICH BLEW OUT MOST CLIMBER’S FIRES

Traversing steep rugged terrain wore down untrained calf muscles, tore out wind from deflated lungs and hammered headaches to create altitude sickness.

My partner was not immune. Luckily for me I frequented 10,000 feet elevations. I knew my personal side effects. My side effects mainly consist of restless nights. I find it difficult to sleep for the first few nights. At Angel’s landing we only had to contend with about 6,000 feet.

My partner lost focus, became dizzy and nearly vomited. I had to remind us more than once why we were here.

We were here to accomplish a goal. A goal which was a dream. A dream which would become reality. The reality could only be if both of us arrived together.

The pain of success is temporary. The pain of failure persists. One foot in front of the other is how we would summit this peak. I said these statements more than once.

As I patiently moved an altitude sick partner up our initial decent a once in a lifetime event occurred.

In the middle of July, during heat wave desert weather, a thunderstorm began to blow. The winds shot through canyons and whipped mountain rocks. The wind gusted hikers down its path.

Go away! The wind screamed.

We watched experienced hikers bow out. Novices panicked into near downhill sprints. Professionals retreated into hollowed out caverns to avoid being swept from the cliff face.

We followed the path of professionals.

In the midst of altitude sickness and vomiting…I smiled from our hollowed-out cave. I looked as my partner lay on the cliff face cave. Then I said, “At least you can rest and acclimate to the altitude.”

A chuckle was let out.

“You’re right. I’m already feeling better.” My partner said.

THE FEAR OF THE SUMMIT

After the storm passed my partner had acclimated. No longer was constant vomit threats yelling harsh words of patience.

We were free to push forward. After rounding the corner into a canyon we enjoyed some peace of a mostly level path. It was not until the 21 switch back salute would we need to stand tall at attention.

The last leg was tiring but not impossible.

We reached the initial summit of Scout’s Landing. It was level, easy to transverse and full of chipmunks who would make any lady appear as snow white. There was no fear in these creatures. The pictures we took were one for the ages.

This brief peace was shattered when we saw the last 1-mile track to Angel’s Landing.

Chains linking the path were planted to provide you a false sense of security you would not fall. In truth…many fell. 17 precisely.

Many died. The path down was long and hard. The heights we reached could create a phobia in anyone.

I reminded myself words. I frequently speak these words to my daughter.

I always say,

“Daddy is the bravest person you know. It’s not that I’m not scared. When I am scared I do it anyways. That is bravery. On the other side of what you’re afraid of are the best things.”

I am not a liar. I am not someone to mislead people. Anyone who personally knows me knows this to be true.

I am genuine in my words as I speak them.

I’m sure all people believe they are genuine. This is a falsehood many hold until the unfortunate reality of near death confronts you.

As I stood at the end of a chain link, I realized I must let go. I had to jump to reach a ledge. It was at this moment a voice spoke to me. The voice said a very simple message.

“You have never done this before. If you make one wrong move, you will die. There is nothing and no one here to save you.”

I froze for about 3 seconds.

My partner saw fear in my eyes. I have not felt fear in over 20 years. The irony was before we came my partner asked me, “When was the last time you felt fear?”

I could not remember.

I felt no fear in war. I felt no fear in fights. I felt no fear when the FBI raided my house on false allegations with assault rifles pointed at me. I felt no fear when I spoke to serial killers, murders, or life committed gang members while I was detained in county jail. I felt no fear when I was chased around in Istanbul by terrorists.

Fear was foreign to me. I could honestly not remember the last time I felt it.

Now I can.

It was July 11th, 2022 at 419 PM MST. This was the date and time I stood on the ledge to the summit of Angel’s Landing. This was the last time I felt genuine fear. It was at this moment true humility came. There was nothing I could do if I was wrong in my judgment. Opinions no longer mattered. Rules no longer mattered. Laws were irrelevant. On that ledge was just nature, my God and I.

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That was it.

I told myself my daughter’s words. I would not mislead my daughter. I would have bravery. I spoke the words out loud to myself,

“Daddy is the bravest person you know. It’s not that I’m not scared. When I am scared I do it anyways. That is bravery. On the other side of what you’re afraid of are the best things.”

I jumped.

I sat suspended in air for an eternity.

My feet floated. My hands opened. I saw the chain. I must grab it…and then…

I grabbed it.

After a few moments to breathe. I collected myself. I still had to free climb. I went to the end of the chain. I free climbed up a cliff ledge, over a fallen tree, around a broken rock and after…

My partner and I stood. We summited Angel’s Landing together. Then we set up shop and did my partner’s dream.

We accomplished it together. Without either of us none could take credit. We truly were partners.

TRUE PARTNERSHIP

Men don’t want half efforts. We don’t want someone who is a cheerleader calling themselves our partner. Men don’t want an independent person on an independent mission who comes home every night to discuss “their” plan or “their” day.

If you’re a woman and you want to be a partner read this story again.

Understand what level of commitment partnership takes. Note the fear, the vulnerability, and the danger we each confronted to accomplish a “common” goal. This story illustrated joint efforts at the “same” thing. We did not each do our own thing. We did not walk our own pace. We walked a pace together. We struggled together. We experienced fear together.

We succeeded in all things together.

There’s a role for wives. It’s extremely important. Wives are awesome. Wives are not required to be partners. There’s a whole other level to being labeled partner. The catch to this story? My partner is a man. He is my cousin. Partnership has nothing to do with romanticism or love.

Partnership is commitment. Partnership is explicit trust. Partnership is a deep connection which is the total opposite of surface level. Men don’t view partnership on a romantic level. Women if you don’t understand this crucial aspect of partnership (to men) you will forever be frustrated with men.

Don’t seek agreement. Seek understanding.

Can a wife be a partner? Absolutely. I didn’t say wives cannot be partners. I’m just saying not every wife will be a partner. The standard for partner is extremely high for men. Men don’t require wives to be partners. The standard is much lower. Remember that the next time you try and call your man your partner.

To your knowledge success!

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Not a form of investment advice. Please consult a professional registered to give you advice about your individual circumstance. This article is for educational purposes and entertainment purposes only. Please do not email the author about advice on investing or strategies on making investments.

About Christopher: Christopher Knight Lopez is a Professional Hustler turned International Best Seller and Published Author of “I Made It Then I Didn’t”. Christopher has opened over 7 businesses in his 15-year career. Christopher’s purpose is to take advantage of various market-driven opportunities. Christopher is a certified Master Project Manager (MPM), and Accredited Financial Analyst (AFA). Christopher previously held his Series 65 securities license examination and was a Master Financial Planner (MFP). Christopher also held his General Lines — Life, Accident, Health & HMO. Christopher has managed a combined 286mm USD in reported Assets Under Management & Assets Under Advisement. Christopher has work experience in 33 countries, raised over 50mm USD for various businesses, and grossed over 13.0mm in his personal career. Christopher worked in the highly technical industries of: biotechnology, finance, securities, manufacturing, real estate, and residential mortgages. Christopher is a United States Air Force Veteran. Christopher has a passion for family, competitive sports, fishing, martial arts and advocacy for entrepreneurs. Christopher provides self-help classes for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Christopher’s passion to mentor comes from belief that entrepreneurs need guidance. The world is full of conflicting information about entrepreneur identity. See more at www.christopherklopez.com.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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