So Near and Yet So Far

“I wish I’d never started this!” I muttered to myself. I repeated that mantra often throughout the climb. Inch by grim inch, I made my way upward. There was no going back. I was too far up the cliff to change my mind, or so I believed. I certainly wasn’t going to look down again to find out. I’d done that once, about an hour ago, and it scared me half to death. It took me five minutes just to get moving again. Finally, I reached the cliff’s summit and lay there catching my breath. I was nearly home now.