The Slide

Picture a giant slide. A very big one. So big until you can just barely see the top of the slide and the bottom is a long way away.

Then picture someone scrabbling on it, a little more then the middle, quite far from the bottom, but nowhere near the top. The someone is trying to climb up the slide, trying, hands clutching the side of the slide, feet trying to get a grip on the slippery surface of the giant plaything.

It seemed so much fun during the childhood days. The slide was big, but not impossible to climb. Many people have climbed it before, starting from the bottom, and presevering until he or she reached the top. The view seemed so awesome from the top of the slide. Like you could see everything, and everything was in your grasp.

But now, the someone found out that the slide, is not so easy to conquer after all. It started with a few determine plods up the not-so-steep bottom of the slide. Progress was made. Confidence level shoots up.

The plodding continues, this time a little harder, hands and feet grabbing on to the sides of the slide. But it's still not too steep. Still alright. Still manageble. Of course, there were a few slips along the way. Slips that the someone slid down a few notches of the slide. But still safe, still going higher.

But now...

The slips down the slide have grown lower. Each time a slip, each time harder to climb back up. Each time a hand or feet misses a grip, each time steeper the slide seems. Each time a sweat drips, each time it seems to burn the eyes.

As it is, the top of the slide will never be reached. Unless the slipping stops. Unless the hands and feet start gripping again. Unless the sweat is shaken out of the eyes. Unless the someone looks up again towards the top of the slide.

And continues clawing her way up.