I thought of this song, a Christmas carol from the early 20th century, for two reasons: as of this writing, there is a 100% chance of snow Sunday night (6″…happened), and I recently purchased another DVD after attending the Banff Mountain Film Festival earlier this month. The movie is called Crossing the Ice and documents the journey of two unlikely characters to the South Pole and back – unsupported – a journey which had not been successfully completed in 100 years of polar exploration.
I have bought only one other documentary, Eastern Rises, upon being inspired by a festival our city is fortunate enough to host. This one tells the story of some freakishly obsessed fly fishermen who travel eight time zones from Moscow to the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia to harvest the fruits of the most unadulterated trout streams in the world (and return them to their pristine waters, of course.) The reason these stories inspire me is that the people in them, all men in fact, are following their heart as opposed to “duty.”
In the wake of this year’s film festival, I have had the privilege of watching several Ted Talks, some of which have left me spell bound. One was Steve Jobs’ commencement address at Stanford in which he insisted – one year after his first brush with pancreatic cancer – your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life…have the courage to follow your heart and intuition – somehow they already know what you truly want to become.
Cas and Jonesy in Crossing the Ice knew what they wanted to become…polar explorers. Yet they were far from it with regards to credentials and experience. Although they had successfully crossed the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, they had NEVER before skied and almost no experience lighting a camp stove!
Regardless, they set their sights on reaching the South Pole. Against all odds and in hellish conditions – behind schedule before starting – they trudged on – step by step. 80 degrees below zero. Blisters. Rashes. Hunger. White outs. Gastrointestinal distress. Emotional breakdowns. Sleds sticking in deep powder along with furious winds rendered their pace impossibly slow. To add insult to endless injuries another single Norwegian ‘competitor’ taunted them with his seemingly effortless progress.
As was said on the Apollo 13 mission, however, “failure is not an option.”
To the immense surprise of all monitoring their progress, Cas and Jonesy reached the South Pole, and to everyone’s even greater surprise, they decided to make the return trip with barely enough rations to last them in the best of conditions.
The Norwegian, who seemed not unlike the elusive Man in Black in The Princess Bride, nobly waited for them in order that the three of them could cross the proverbial finish line together. I hate to have ruined the ending for you, but unless you come to my house in a few months (or however long it takes the DVD to arrive from Australia) I doubt you’ll ever see this movie – unless you already have.
The ‘station master’ whose name escapes me but who was in charge of outfitting and monitoring these expeditions as well as sending emergency help when weather permitted, doubted Cas and Jonesy would survive much less complete their journey. Shocked and humbled, he attributed their success to the how big their hearts were – not their minds or muscle.
He also commented on their devotion to each other as friends. They allowed each other to feel the breadth of their emotions which at times were overwhelming; they appreciated each other’s strengths; they practically delighted in each other’s foibles; and they laughed…sometimes. The strength of their relationship as well as the depth of their passion resulted in success which astounded all, especially those who ‘knew better.’
Interestingly, I just received a quote by a prolific Indian author, Sri Chinmoy: The word ‘impossible’ is only in the mind and not in the heart.
Did they want to give up? Absolutely – nearly every day of the 90 it took to complete their journey. Did they hit rock bottom? Absolutely. Did they fail? Yes…in a micro sense, that is. Yet in a macro one, they most decidedly succeeded, not due to exceptional skills but faith in each other and their dream.
I am reminded of another commencement address, one which JK Rowling delivered at Harvard, in which she offered this: rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life…it is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well have not lived at all.
Cas and Jonesy ventured forth – arguably, with reckless abandon – knowing intellectually they could fail. If logic and reason had prevailed, they would have turned back on more than one occasion. They were not, however, driven by ego as is the case with many of the gnarly climbers, mountain bikers and paddlers featured in these Banff films.
Their humility and humanity make their story extraordinarily appealing. At times I cringed in recognition of the striking metaphor for life of their hellish yet triumphant experience. I reflected upon the fact that I don’t actually agree with the eastern notion that we must transcend suffering. I believe it is precisely through suffering that our character is developed, ‘soul strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved’ – as per Helen Keller. Only in identification with it, do we triumph over it.To quote French novelist Marcel Proust: We are healed from suffering only by experiencing it to the full.
Cas and Jonesy endured, suffered and, ultimately, triumphed by listening to their hearts. Consider Proverbs 4:23, The Message translation, which reads:
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.
Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Are you feeling stuck, indecisive, fearful? Are you living someone else’s life? Are you hiding from…yourself? Are you constantly comparing yourself with others, which robs you of joy? Do you have a dream unrealized? Do you have many?
God gave you your heart. It is your compass. Follow it.
It may lead you down the road less traveled, and that will make all the difference.
– Caroline Watkins