Once, Jason got a stomach flu. "I was sick and I managed to step outside and puke, so I leaned up against a tree,and one of the housing people caught me! It's like a small army, those people in charge of housing. They're always out there making sure you are not being an idiot."
I ask him about the social life. He says, "You know, I have a couple really cool friends, a lot of girlfriends, you have all types up here. You have girls that come out to party and drink, you have your climber people who come out to live a creative life. Believe it or not there are people who live in the valley that don’t even get out and hike, and then there are people who have this playground and they don’t even go out and walk on a flat trail."
"What does your family think about your lifestyle?"
He says, "
It's hard to say, they are extremely happy for me. I don’t think they understand what it is that I do. I know that my parents know that is a passion for me, but I couldn’t imagine my life without climbing. It’s a way of life. I don’t watch my weight because I never have to worry about getting fat. Climbing is a great sport, it gives me self confidence. With a positive attitude you can do anything. The mental ability to be up there and at least try. Sometimes I say I can't do it... I can't do it...and I’m in a huge hand jam, and then your like I did it, I did it!"
He talks about the people he knows back in Oklahoma, where he grew up. "A lot of them are not very physically fit. There is a lot of emphymesia. Some of it is time, but I know a lot of it is our idiot box with a hundred channels."
He continues, "I called the cable company and I asked to have the movie channels turned off. The cable lady said “are you sure you want to do this?' And then she paused and asked, 'WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?' I said, 'Lots of things, read a book, go for a run, and then I gave her a list of the things I was going to do! I don't think she understood."
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