Careful steps.

The telephone pole in the middle of the mountains not only seemed out of place, but ominous. On this hot June day, 60-70 girls approached the pole through a man made clearing. You could see the scarred earth from the hewn trees and shrubs. As they got closer they could see that this was no ordinary pole. There were metal steps and handholds screwed into the wood allowing a person to ascend 25 feet into the air.

At the top, these young women discovered a high wire test as part of a challenge course that had been developed to build unity and trust. Each girl put on a helmet and a harness and one by one they climbed the telephone pole until they reached the high wire. To make sure they were safe, a team of adults managed a belaying system so that even when a girl slipped she did not fall to the ground.

Most of these girls, in fact the vast majority, climbed the pole and crossed the high wire with amazing skill and confidence. But some struggled and had to persevere through fear and uncertainty. One girl stood half way across the wire, her hands trembling but her eyes focused like a laser on her destination. Another girl, realizing that she wasn't going to fall bit unable to get her feet back on the wire pulled herself across with her hands.

The reward for these girls was a zipline ride. Once they reached the other side they stood on a platform and, while attached by a harness to the zipline, an adult asked them to jump. I am so amazed at the trust displayed by all of these girls, but a few really stand out. The first girl didn't get to see anyone go before her and she climbed, crossed and jumped with grace. One girl, completely afraid of heights passed the course more quickly than all but two other girls.

The other girl didn't make it up the pole. She got about 16 feet in the air before being asked to be belayed down. She hadn't even  wanted to try but she did her best. When she couldn't do any more she was firm in what she knew she could do. No one was critical of her choice and she was congratulated for her effort with hearty applause and chants of "good job."

I got to watch these events unfold from the other side of a telephoto lens. Being able to zoom in on these nervous, yet confident and trusting faces thrilled me each and every time. I did stand in the sun for a few hours and my lower back and knees reminded me of the chore, but witnessing the triumphs and joys of all of these girls, including my own daughter, made this day a wonderful success.

I look forward to sharing these photos with the girls and their families so they can remember they are able to do hard things.

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