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Essay

The first time ...

Last weekend, my son, Max, went trekking for the first time. On a crisp autumn day, he set off to climb Mount Takao with family and friends, including world-famous mountaineer Arlene Blum, who led the first successful all-woman expedition to Mount Annapurna, Nepal.

Arlene passed on a simple but striking message to my young son: "Don't be afraid to try." Max is at the age of experiencing most things for the first time — reading, writing, surfing, skiing and now trekking. Relatively speaking, for most 7 year olds, almost everything they try is like scaling Mount Everest. I can relate to this because during my years in Japan I have had a few of my own mountains to conquer.

Struggling with a foreign language, becoming a mother, and starting a business are all significant "firsts" for me. Each time that I attempt something totally new I seem to follow the same process.

There is a real risk of falling flat on your face when you do a headstand (this is my latest yoga "first."). Subconscious alarm bells warn me that what I am about to attempt is scary, but eventually that subsides and more often than not, I convince myself to give it a go. I cannot allow myself to fear failure. For me, success is about trial and error, confidence and a real commitment to continuous learning. So what if the taxi driver thought that what I said in Japanese was that I wanted him to take me to a place that sold bath towels, not Tokyo Tower? Or the time when I found myself to be pregnant at exactly the same time we made the decision to start our family business? Each time I accepted that I may not get things right at the first try but I should keep on trying until it came right.

Twelve years ago, I trekked in the Himalayan Mountains — a trip including many "firsts" from altitude sickness to camping and trekking. It was a fantastic but grueling adventure. But it taught me how to face challenges in my life. I made it through the trek literally one step at a time. What seemed to be an insurmountable ordeal was broken into small manageable pieces. I walked 10 steps and when I accomplished that, I took another 10 steps, which gave me the confidence to keep going until what seemed like 10 billion steps had been completed.

Arlene was the first American woman to attempt to scale Everest. She did not succeed, but she used her setback and what she learned to successfully tackle the most dangerous summit in the world, Annapurna. I know that I won't take on anything so challenging but I would like to trek in the Himalayas again — with my son. And that would be another wonderful first for both of us!

Shukan ST: Oct. 24, 2008

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Essay The first time ... By Anita Lee Last weekend, my son, Max, went trekking for the first time. On a crisp autumn day, he set off to climb Mount Takao with family and friends, including world-famous mountaineer Arlene Blum, who led the first successful all-woman expedition to Mount Annapurna, Nepal. Arlene passed on a simple but striking message to my young son: "Don't be afraid to try." Max is at the age of experiencing most things for the first time — reading, writing, surfing, skiing and now trekking. Relatively speaking, for most 7 year olds, almost everything they try is like scaling Mount Everest. I can relate to this because during my years in Japan I have had a few of my own mountains to conquer. Struggling with a foreign language, becoming a mother, and starting a business are all significant "firsts" for me. Each time that I attempt something totally new I seem to follow the same process. There is a real risk of falling flat on your face when you do a headstand (this is my latest yoga "first."). Subconscious alarm bells warn me that what I am about to attempt is scary, but eventually that subsides and more often than not, I convince myself to give it a go. I cannot allow myself to fear failure. For me, success is about trial and error, confidence and a real commitment to continuous learning. So what if the taxi driver thought that what I said in Japanese was that I wanted him to take me to a place that sold bath towels, not Tokyo Tower? Or the time when I found myself to be pregnant at exactly the same time we made the decision to start our family business? Each time I accepted that I may not get things right at the first try but I should keep on trying until it came right. Twelve years ago, I trekked in the Himalayan Mountains — a trip including many "firsts" from altitude sickness to camping and trekking. It was a fantastic but grueling adventure. But it taught me how to face challenges in my life. I made it through the trek literally one step at a time. What seemed to be an insurmountable ordeal was broken into small manageable pieces. I walked 10 steps and when I accomplished that, I took another 10 steps, which gave me the confidence to keep going until what seemed like 10 billion steps had been completed. Arlene was the first American woman to attempt to scale Everest. She did not succeed, but she used her setback and what she learned to successfully tackle the most dangerous summit in the world, Annapurna. I know that I won't take on anything so challenging but I would like to trek in the Himalayas again — with my son. And that would be another wonderful first for both of us! Shukan ST: Oct. 24, 2008 (C) All rights reserved