While eating lunch today, I read Emile Hirsch’s Kilimanjaro, By a Hair blog article. It was an interesting read, a bit graphic on the ingrown hair battle he faced, but a nice testament to the adversity Kilimanjaro presents and the reason he climbed.
One part really jumped out to me. Hirsch writes:
“There’s about 200 porters waiting for us–all bearing bags jam packed with the tents, food, water, and supplies for the days ahead–so, for example, when we finish a day of hiking the tents are waiting for us–a definite luxury for us on this climb. Porters are all strong men, some wearing as little as shorts and sandals, and all possessing a ruggedness of spirit and soul that shames most of us with their sheer strength– many of the men are carrying sixty pounds on top of their heads while scrambling through rock clusters with ease that most of us are using every drop of adrenaline we can muster just to hang on.”
I appreciated his honesty there. I’ve read several mountaineering essays and articles. I have incredible respect for those that climb (my own hiking and climbing has been limited to a short day or weekend trip–nothing incredibly difficult), yet for almost all that take on the big challenges, the big mountains, there is some porter involved.
They carry more weight with less resources. They don’t complain. They don’t get the fame. They are there just simply to serve.
Sadly, I see so many student leaders who view leadership as the opposite of this. They think because they are the leader they get first dibs on the best t-shirt, can stand in the front of the line, and should receive special privileges.
The porter doesn’t do this. Again, the porter is there to serve.
I think that is the type of leader we should all strive to be.
It’s easy to complain that we don’t have the latest gear or that everything is too tight, but what can we do with what is provided?
It’s great that we are the leader of our organization or group, but that doesn’t mean we should be the first in line to be served, rather we should be the first one TO serve others.
It’s about us leading in tough circumstances with limit resources “with ease that most of us are using every drop of adrenaline we can muster just to hang on.”
It’s a challenge, but it’s one we should embrace.
Seriously, spend some time, being the PORTER.
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