Wandering and Climbing

There is a live band playing at the Green Templeton Ball tonight. I have my window open to let the fresh night air in and I hear them pretty clearly. The sounds of the night offer a soft undercurrent to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." I wandered around town a bit today, read a book and did some thinking. Also, I watched the new Superman movie. It was replete with Saviour images, American-isms, and, my favourite, the most pro-Kansas movie since the Wizard of Oz. Or at least the most recent one. I felt very proud sitting in my seat, surrounded by British citizens, that Superman was from Kansas.

Recently, I've been thinking about the "Great Man" theory of history. Its the idea that Heroes move history or make history. The critics and advocates of this theory get very technical and academic but one of the questions they keep coming back to is what is the role of the individual in history? We long to make a difference, to have someone remember us, or to prove our worth in some way or another. It was interesting to watch Superman with some of those thoughts in mind.

(There was just a fireworks show outside my window. It felt like the 4th of July. They were only a few weeks off. Not too bad. The band is also playing Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" I do believe they are trying to make me feel at home.)

The other thing I got to do in the last week was climb several mountains. Yes, several, as in three. I climbed three mountains in about 36 hours. A group of Rotary students from around the UK gathered together in Edinburgh and, with two drivers, we proceeded to the Highlands of Scotland to climb Ben Nevis, to the Lake District of England for Scarfell Pike and we finished in Wales to climb Snowdon. My legs are still in pain. But, oh, it was a great adventure. Enjoy some pictures.