Joe McAdory: Some bumps and bruises are necessary

Digging my fingers deep into the dirt, leaves or whatever else was available, I found myself sliding down the steep side of a north Georgia Mountain.

The zenith of Anna Ruby Falls, near Helen, Ga., is the most beautiful place on earth. Seated beside a pure, rushing stream that hasn’t been tainted by humans — above where birds of prey circle the timberland — you can see the shapes that carve our earth for miles. All you hear is the wind through the pines, the stream and the crashing waterfall below.

Getting down, however, generates a completely different set of emotions — fear, excitement, challenge, bravery and humility — especially when you come down the face of the mountain rather than the less challenging back side, the way you came up.

Footing isn’t sturdy. Gravity seemingly cracks a smile and says, “You’re mine now, boy.”

The ground was dry, but was deadly slick with fallen leaves. Mark Sampson, Dean Boese, two friends of mine from South Daytona, Fla., and I had no choice but to slide downhill — hitting, then grabbing hold of one tree at a time.

When you’re young, you do foolish things. We were young, so that pretty much explains it.

Each tree gave us a new bruise, but the pain was necessary. Without them, we’d fall to certain … well, something bad. We all hit bumps and snags along the way in life. We don’t understand them at the time. They can be painful and inconvenient. But sometimes these bumps are necessary. If we didn’t hit them, we’d continue to fall … speeding toward our own personal destruction.

My shirt was ripped. My ribs were bruised. My skin scratched, cut, sliced, and caked with dirt. I looked like John Rambo in First Blood, minus the buck knife, bandanna and military jacket.

We’ll grab onto anything to prevent a fall, whether it’s a friend or faith. In my case, I scratched and clawed at the Georgia ground, sometimes burying my fingers deep to slow the inevitable. I’d slide a few feet in the direction of another tree, then brace for impact. My heart raced because I never knew if I was about to break a few ribs or any other important bones. The last thing I wanted was to be maimed on a mountainside.

Didn’t come across any ants or bees, so that was good.

After a while, we could see the bottom. Folks were gathered at the base of the falls, not looking at its glory, but watching three goofballs risk their lives. There’s a sign at the bottom that warns hikers not to go beyond that point “or risk death.”

As beautiful as the top was, the mountain’s bottom felt pretty sweet once we arrived safely.

Over the years, I’m not sure what happened to Mark and Dean. Last I heard Mark was working as an undercover security guard aboard passenger jets and Dean was driving big trucks down in Florida. I wonder if they think much about the afternoon they bounced down the side of that mountain.

Like other things, the allure of Anna Ruby Falls’ scenic crest was too much to ignore. But sometimes our foolish heads can’t see past life’s obvious risks.

Joe McAdory is editorial page editor for the Opelika-Auburn News. He can be reached at 737-2549 or jmcadory@oanow.com