Perception seldom lives up to reality. Case in point, take the Great Wall in China, where we visited a month ago and consequentially bought a hat to prove I had actually been there.
Here’s the perception. If you have never been to the Great Wall in China, my guess is your own experience would have been a lot like this. One night, you probably couldn’t find anything else better to watch on TV and were flipping through the channels when you happened upon PBS or the History channel. Then suddenly you were allured by peaceful music that was accompanied by a scenic, breathtaking, overhead IMAX view of something you couldn’t quite put your finger. To further lure you in, you heard the soothing voice of Morgan Freeman or someone like him describing what your eyes and ears had been drawn into, like a moth to a flame. I’m just guessing here, but he probably said things like: What lies beneath you in all of its grandeur and beauty is one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. At one time, it had been rumored that the Wall could be viewed from the moon, albeit false, its true length is a staggering 5,500 miles long. The Great Wall, so simply, yet poignantly named has stood the test of elements and time. Effortlessly, this beautiful monument captivates the eyes and stimulates the imagination as it weaves its way throughout the ancient country side of China, like a thread in time, delicately bringing the past together with the present.
Here’s the reality. What I remember most about the Great Wall, besides the hat, is that the steps were incredibly steep. Hurt your lungs kind of steep. The steps at places were as high as your knee and then as high as your ankle and then somewhere in between. It was also painfully obvious that when the Chinese built the Wall they did not believe in landings. Had it not been for some flavored water I would have quit, but my nine year old daughter wanted to keep going, so up we went.
Here’s the perception. If you have never been to the Great Wall in China, my guess is your own experience would have been a lot like this. One night, you probably couldn’t find anything else better to watch on TV and were flipping through the channels when you happened upon PBS or the History channel. Then suddenly you were allured by peaceful music that was accompanied by a scenic, breathtaking, overhead IMAX view of something you couldn’t quite put your finger. To further lure you in, you heard the soothing voice of Morgan Freeman or someone like him describing what your eyes and ears had been drawn into, like a moth to a flame. I’m just guessing here, but he probably said things like: What lies beneath you in all of its grandeur and beauty is one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. At one time, it had been rumored that the Wall could be viewed from the moon, albeit false, its true length is a staggering 5,500 miles long. The Great Wall, so simply, yet poignantly named has stood the test of elements and time. Effortlessly, this beautiful monument captivates the eyes and stimulates the imagination as it weaves its way throughout the ancient country side of China, like a thread in time, delicately bringing the past together with the present.
Here’s the reality. What I remember most about the Great Wall, besides the hat, is that the steps were incredibly steep. Hurt your lungs kind of steep. The steps at places were as high as your knee and then as high as your ankle and then somewhere in between. It was also painfully obvious that when the Chinese built the Wall they did not believe in landings. Had it not been for some flavored water I would have quit, but my nine year old daughter wanted to keep going, so up we went.
Obviously, the Great Wall wasn’t constructed to meet building codes because there was no rhyme or reason to how it was made. At some sections, there were holes in the wall for archers to shoot arrows at their enemies and strange enough now cool breezes flow through these openings. Many died to complete something they had no stake in, because it was forced on them. As I hiked it, I secretly feared I might succumb as well. Coming down it was akin to repelling down a cliff, sort of, while holding a weather beaten, rusty rail. My favorite memory, however, was climbing with my daughter, Sianna, up a tower that was attached to the Wall.
So, here’s where I’m going with this. Reality seldom meets up with perception. It’s cool to say that you climbed the Great Wall, but my experience tells me I could have lived without it and trusted the voiceover guy to fill me in on the details. However, so far as I’m concerned, I have a bunch of cool pictures. And did I mention I have a hat.
So, here’s where I’m going with this. Reality seldom meets up with perception. It’s cool to say that you climbed the Great Wall, but my experience tells me I could have lived without it and trusted the voiceover guy to fill me in on the details. However, so far as I’m concerned, I have a bunch of cool pictures. And did I mention I have a hat.
Swavel
