This is the twenty-second of a weekly blog series that will focus on leadership in the outdoors and how to get the most from the least. Even though the title is called, “Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man”, it will hopefully cover topics that are useful to everyone.
Chapter 22: Mountain Men for Life.
“The mark of Friendship is not that help will be given when the pinch comes (of course it will) but that, having been given, it makes no difference at all.”
C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
In the mountain man’s time of yesteryear, the most important resource a mountaineer could have was a reliable man beside him. Except in very few rare cases, mountain men never trapped or traded alone, instead preferring the company of many other men for safety and a division of work tasks. Many legendary stories of friendship come from the golden age of the mountain men. These unbreakable bonds of dependence on one another were established from season-to-season, and in many cases, these friendships lasted long after the mountain men left the Rockies for the last time as trappers and traders.
One of the best examples of friendship that was forged in the shared hardships of the Rocky Mountains was the epic story of Lewis and Clark’s expedition to explore and map the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. While the Lewis and Clark expedition does pre-date the golden era of the mountain men, it remains an amazing example of what can be accomplished through camaraderie and reliance on one another. Lewis and Clark’s story while on the Corps of Discovery is a larger than life historical record of endurance, perseverance, creativity, resourcefulness and many other important character traits required on an expedition of this scale and grandeur, but above all, it was a story of true friendship. Their bond of brotherhood was something they were always able to count on in good times and bad. Having a friend that you know will be by your side through all of life’s trials, tribulations and adventures can give a man a sense of strength and the willingness to try something otherwise thought impossible. This was certainly the case for Lewis and Clark.
When President Jefferson selected his personal secretary Meriwether Lewis to lead the Corps of Discovery into the newly purchased Louisiana Territory to explore, document and establish the United States presence, Lewis knew it was too big and too important of an undertaking for just one man to complete the mission successfully. Lewis went directly to a man he had served with previously in the military and someone he knew would be complementary to both his strengths and weaknesses; that man was William Clark. Even though Lewis was in-charge per military title and rank, as he was a Captain and Clark a Lieutenant, it was agreed upon before the trip was fully organized and assembled that it would be a shared command, no questions asked. Already friends before setting out on the several years-long journey, they would return as brothers-in-purpose with an unbreakable bond that would survive until death. Even though professional and personal business quickly separated them with great geographical distance after returning from their adventure, they remained best friends. Time, distance and different callings could not separate what was established through shared experience. This was, and still remains, the hallmark of true friendship. When Lewis died an untimely death, Clark was very sad. However, the foundations of friendship that were laid while these great men were experiencing everything God’s creation had to offer could not be broken by human death.
For the modern-day mountain man this need to have a friend and to be the friend that can be relied upon no matter the circumstances is a calling of God. He designed men to be social creatures, seeking out and needing the love and service of others and towards others to fulfill His plan. While we may have many casual friendships throughout our adventures on earth, we will probably only ever have one or two true friends that will go to the ends-of-the-earth with us along life’s journey. I have had the privilege and honor to have a friendship like this, similar to what I believe Lewis and Clark experienced during their times together. No matter the odds, I know my friend will support and help me accomplish my goals and I truly hope he knows I would do the same for him. For my journey on earth, this friend’s name is Paul. Being a close friend to one another may not always be easy. I know God put Paul in my life for a purpose.
Paul and I certainly didn’t start out as friends, let alone life-long friends. Looking back, it makes perfect sense that our close similarities and personality strengths are what made us close rivals to begin with. I am sure we were not the first friendship to start out this way. Our original rivalry and inability to reach a consensus about very trivial things, like where and when to shovel snow outside of a random building, was in-fact laying the groundwork for a very profound and successful friendship. We first needed to establish boundaries and know what the other person was thinking. Once these small indescrepencies were lined out, there was no task too big for us to undertake or accomplish. At times, we both needed to put our pride aside and realize we were stronger together than each of us trying to do our own separate agendas. We began to realize while working together that our attention to small details and general views on topics such as work ethic, teaching methods and serving God were so closely connected that there was no way God didn’t place us on intersecting paths. To go against this friendship would be to go against God’s plan. More times than I can count, Paul has helped me with issues both large and small, always with no expectation of anything in return. I would hope Paul would know I would do the same for him and his family. Paul is the best friend a modern-day mountain man could ever ask or hope for. I would not have had the same experiences or have been able to serve God in as many places as I have without Paul’s help along the way. A friend like this is a true gift from God.
In a previous chapter, I wrote about the importance and need for finding a wife that can fulfill a role and plan that God originally laid out in Genesis with the story of Adam and Eve. A close personal friend, like Paul, comes in a close second for the modern-day mountain man. In many cases, a brother in Christ can serve a purpose that even a wife cannot serve. Christ calls us to be friendly and to help all people that we meet along the way on our adventures, and this timeless sentiment is certainly true. We will have many friends and help many people along the way, but to have a true friend is something every mountain man needs. Someone who is willing to give all they can with no questions asked is a divine gift and not something that should be taken lightly. Sometimes a friendship like this will occur in the most unlikely place, with a person you may never expect, but as with everything, God has a plan. To be a good friend in return, we should always be willing to give all of ourselves to our brother in Christ. In this modern-day mountain man’s case I am truly honored and blessed to have Paul serving as my brother in our adventures together.
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