Thoughts of a Mrs. Modern-Day Mountain Woman Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Mountaineering is a two-way journey.

“If a task is once begun, never leave it 'till it's done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.” -Author Unknown

Is the author of this saying really unknown? I believe not. The author is every mother in this world, including me. None of us may be able to lay claim to originating this saying, but we sure get our mileage out of it! My children gravitate towards the, “do it well or not at all” assuming that if they do a task poorly enough they won’t be asked to do it again, or that if they really didn’t want to do it in the first place (dishes, mopping, etc.) it’s best to not even start on it since you should finish what you start, in theory. Their “theory” on this saying doesn’t work out so well for them! Usually complaining about finishing the task will only lead them to receive another task to practice this “character building skill”.

In life, there are so many opportunities to do a job well and see it through to completion. Finishing college and earning a degree, marrying the person of your dreams and staying with them until death parts you, raising your children to adulthood, all are noble tasks that improve when we put all of our efforts into completing them. When we quit or turn back without a reasonable reason, we aren’t showing perseverance.

I remember one time climbing a mountain with Mr. Mountain Man. We were nearing the summit when the going started getting really rough. The ascent was basically a scramble over big rocks, that my little legs were not enjoying. I remember telling him, “leave me here, or tie me to a rope and drag me, I’m not taking another step towards the top.” Instead, he patiently waited for me to catch my breath and regain some energy before helping me make it to the top. I am still thankful that I did not quit part-way through, but that I saw it to completion. There was a mountain hike on another day though, where we could see the weather starting to change. It didn’t matter that we were almost to the top, we knew that we must turn around and head back home to avoid any personal danger. Knowing when to press on and when to turn back is lifechanging.

Born to be a Modern-day Mountain Man

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” When we first began writing these chapters together, I knew it was a worthy mission of sharing thoughts and knowledge. I did not realize how quickly we would get to the halfway point. When you are working at something, be it a mountain climb or a writing assignment, there are times when it can feel neverending and others when it feels as though you just started it yesterday. Some tasks don’t feel like a task at all, some feel heavier and take more effort to complete. Believing in yourself and having the confidence to work your hardest and see the job through until the end shows not only perseverance but determination and good character. “Be the labor big or small, do it well or not at all.” I encourage you to do it well, try your hardest, see the uphill challenge and know that, while it may not always be easy, the work is always worth the effort.