人生如巨石
- 艾宇倫（筆名）
「上吧！」 他說。
我跳離了地面，抓住巖石，用盡我所有的力氣把我的身體往上拉，我和地面的距離越拉越遠，而我和死亡的距離越拉越近。Alex在我的身邊登爬，我們倆都知道我們得豁出去了，因為這已經沒有回頭路了。我是有過攀牆經驗的，但是這麼一塊如牆的巨石，而唯一人工的東西就是身上的背帶！這我可連做夢也沒想過要攀登。我興奮顫慄，這次登山可以給我帶來向人吹牛的權利，可是現在卻離得到任何成就感的體驗還早著呢。偏偏我是在正午登山，似乎純粹的炎熱在蒸發著我的意志。我停了一下，找個地方歇一下手。
「來吧，Alan。」
「你行的。」
這本不過是很空洞的口號，但畢竟我自己的意願和下面警覺的觀眾讓我感到了鼓舞。
我沒有很多不利條件，除了致命的一個：我個子矮。我以前總是以為個子矮也不妨礙玩兒很多項體育，這也沒錯... ...在某種程度上。不過，是這樣，攀巖時要去抓那一個個比你個子長的缺口似乎還真有點難，再加上我那木棍似的瘦胳膊，我真是掙扎著要把我這九十磅的身體往上拉一百五十尺。我爬到了大概中間段時，疲倦不堪，為自己的結局擔憂。那會兒似乎沒有任何地方可以下手，當然後來我發現很多同伴也都有處在我這樣的困境。我又休息了幾次，停在空中，接著我往後看了一下，看到身後那讓我震撼的景色，也看到了山底下躺著的那些不起眼的小點兒。
就在那一刻、那個瞬間，我意識到我真正的目標。我並不是為了要證明我能爬上一座牆而爬牆。我爬牆是為了挑戰我的極限，通過我每一次的猛力推動，每一個攀升，每一股拉力，我都讓自己的極限一點點在無限延伸。於是我冒了一個險，我抓住了那座牆，這並不是因為我知道它在那兒，而是因為我並不知道它在那兒。我相信它就在那兒，那是當我的想像成為現實的一刻。我抓住了那座牆，開始往上跳，一手一手，一步一步，我豁出去了似的不再停頓，我沒有為我的懷疑停下，沒有為壓力停下。我攀啊攀啊，我爬著那座牆，消耗著我體內的每一盎司最後的力氣，而每次耗盡了，我又產生出更多。
「差不多了-」
我大吸了一口氣。
「到了！」
我抓住最後一塊巖石，不帶一絲猶豫，我義無反顧地觸摸了山頂。
我一邊看著這令人吃驚的美景，一邊高唱著「喔-呼-」。
在人群的喝彩聲中我回到了地球。
我的眼睛現在是睜著的，而我也意識到世上沒有一個叫做「極限」的東西。你可以把極限這個東西設定為任何你想要的。就看你信不信你是行的。
寫於2016年8月，上海
Life Is A Rock
- by Alan Deutsch
「Climb on!」 He said.
I hoisted myself off the ground, grabbing rocks and pulling myself with all my strength, further extending the distance between me and the ground while also closing the distance between me and my death. Alex was climbing beside me, and we both knew we were committed as there was no turning back now. I had always had experience with climbing walls, but an actual rock wall of which the only man-made thing was a harness. I never would have dreamed of climbing on that. I was thrilled to obtain the bragging-rights of climbing a mountain, but I still had a long way to go to feel any form of accomplishment. I was climbing in the peak of the day, and it was as if the sheer heat was evaporating my will. I took a break, looking for a place to put my hands.
「Come on Alan!」
「You got this.」
They were indeed cheesy remarks, but I felt encouraged by my intent and vigilant audience.
I didn’t have many dis-advantages besides one deciding factor: I’m short. I had always thought that being short didn’t mean anything when doing many sports, which is true… to an extent. You see, It’s kind of hard to climb gaps taller than you, and with my sticks for arms, I really struggled with pulling my whole 90 pounds up a hundred fifty feet. I had gotten the middle section of my course, and I was weary of my turnout. It was almost like there was nowhere to put my hands, later I found out that many people had also reached that same dilemma. I took a few more breaks, or 「takes」 as they would call it. Then I looked behind me, and saw the breathtaking scenery, including the tiny dots lying down on the base of the hill.
I realized my true purpose right then right there at that moment. I'm not supposed to climb a wall to prove that I can. I'm supposed to climb a wall to challenge my limits, and with every thrust, every hoist, every pull, I make myself that much more limitless. So I took a risk, and grabbed that wall, not because I knew it was there, but because I didn't know it was there. I believed that it was there, and that was when my imagination became a reality. I took that wall and leaped up, arm by arm, leg by leg. I didn't stop for life's problems, I didn't stop for my doubts, I didn't stop for pressure. I climbed and climbed, scaling the wall, disposing of every last ounce of strength and when I ran out, I simply made more.
「Almost- 「
I took a deep breath.
「There!」
I grabbed a hold of the last rock, and beyond the shadow of doubt, I irrevocably touched the top of that mountain.
I yodeled out a loud 「WOOOO Hooooo」 while looking at the astonishing view.
The crowd cheered as I came back down to Earth.
My eyes are open now, and I realize that there is no such thing as 「limits.」 You can set them to whatever you want. It just depends if you believe you can do it.
- August 2016, Shanghai