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BB2128
: Life Understood Backwards?
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Thursday 15th
July 2021
Halfway
up Whernside, Stan started quoting
a Scandinavian proverb
Life
can only be understood backwards,
but it must be lived forwards
“That
must be Kierkegaard,” said Robin
whose knowledge of matters Danish
outweighs that of Stan and me.
We have only worked for
Danes; Robin married one.
John
was silent but nodded sagely.
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If,
like me, you were unaware of Søren
Aabye Kierkegaard,
let me enlighten you with an overview. Born
in 1835 in Copenhagen, he is regarded as
the Father of Existentialism.
If,
like me, you haven’t a clue what that means,
perhaps The
Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy
might help.
Now
what has all this got to do with the price
of cheese? I hear you thinking. Or
with a BOOTboys
walk for that matter?
Well,
just a few weeks since climbing Ingleborough
(BB2124),
we had returned to Ribblehead. It
is a long gentle approach to tackle Whernside along
by the railway line and the site of the
Locomotive Depot.
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The
Ribblehead Viaduct was a constant companion
but in the distance, where the line traveled
north, two more, smaller viaducts could
be seen.
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To
the south, far off stood Pen-y-Ghent and
just across the valley its big brother Ingleborough.
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To
the north were the Howgills and the scene
of last week's adventure (BB2127).
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On
such a bright summer’s day, as we climbed
the now well-flagged path towards the summit,
it was almost inevitable that thoughts would
turn to existential philosophy. Well,
wouldn’t yours?
Shortly
after the summit, when we stopped for our
butties, Stan explained more of Kierkegaard’s
theories. We might have debated them
earnestly but the steep descent ahead of
us made us focus on more pressing matters.
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Back
at the car (and after a thought-provoking
99 ice cream) was the big decision of the
day. We decided to live forwards to
Thornton in Lonsdale.
Perhaps
the greatest claim of the hamlet is that
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle married his first
wife there at St Oswald’s Church in 1885,
crossed the road for his reception at The
Marton Arms then set off to Ireland on honeymoon
We
had a happy time in the pub, living life
forwards with our drinks whilst looking
back on the day. We thought we understood
the pleasant time we had had on the outing.
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I
returned home to hear Professor
Jim Al-Khalili on the radio
explaining how time had no direction
at the quantum level and that
matter could be in two places
simultaneously. Backwards and
forwards in time have no meaning.
Ah!
That explains why, as
I sit in my room typing, I find
that we are simultaneously still
in the pub. I don’t pretend
to understand it and I suspect
that Kierkegaard wouldn’t either.
Perhaps another beer would
help.
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Over
here, please, Landlord!
Don,
Thursday 15th July 2021
Comitibus: Don,
Stan, Robin, John
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Bryan's
Freedom Day
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Weather
forecast was good so I thought
I would try two things I’ve
not done since Covid arrived
– a ride on a bus (to Grasmere)
and a night in the tent (on
the summit of Steel Fell).
The
1,400ft climb up the south ridge
was hard going in the evening
sunshine with the big pack.
But I got there eventually.
Frustratingly
cloud cover shut out the sun
just after I arrived, whilst
frustratingly I could see it
was still beating down in Kendal.
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After
dinner I had a good night’s sleep, only
woken a couple of times by the strong wind
rattling the tent. Awake at 6am for breakfast
and the bus home.
That’s
‘Freedom Day’ for me!
Bryan
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