Day #40

Location: Basecamp
Altitude: 5364m
Local Time: 8:00pm / May 6
Weather: Cool (40's) cloudy/sleet

Today's guest blogger will be Bo Parfet. Bo, as you may remember, started off the guest blogs with an introduction of our fellow climbers.
Following is a deeper look at who we are and why we are here!
Hope you enjoy!

Hello there, my name is Bo Parfet and I am writing my second message on Pat's fabulous blog.

The title of of this piece is called "Who Am I"? This is a question that has been on my mind (and perhaps many fellow climbers) numerous times throughout the 2007 Everest Expedition.

Who am I? This question appears at interesting times: while dangling from a rope, crossing a ladder over a bottomless crevasse, dodging avalanches, seeing a dead body being carried down the mountain, climbing through the Khumbu Icefall in the early morning and hoping a chunk of ice the size of a house doesn't decide to fall and crush me, climbing the seemingly vertical Lhotse face where rocks and ice fall violently and erratically right towards me, or simply lying in my tent - during these exciting, hectic and tranquil times I ask myself "Who Am I"?

I have been thinking deeply about this simple yet perplexing question.

After a proper period of reflection, it became apparent to me that I was not just a name, not just a brother, not just a son, not just a someday father or husband, not just a climber, not just a businessman.

I discovered that it is a fundamental flaw to define ourselves by our physical presence. This is because our physical attributes are consistently regenerating.

The human body pretty much regenerates itself every year, some organs grow faster than others. Hair continues to grow no matter how we cut it (for most of us, anyway), and the skin we sport today was not there six months ago. Nor will it be with you six months from now. Even your internal organs slowly die and rebuild.
So if we aren't entirely defined by our physical attributes or the name we give ourselves, how are we defined? Some believe we are defined by a spirit or by the spirituality that guides the decisions we make in life. I think that approach is part of the answer, but I think there's more.

"We are defined by the experiences and actions of our lifetime".

We are defined by years of fun and boredom, of excitement and terror, of pleasure and pain, of love and loathing. Some portion of the weathering and scars is visible. Some of it lies much deeper. We are defined by the friends we have kept as well as those we elected not to. We are a product of the things we controlled as well as the stuff that landed on our laps courtesy of fate, chance, bad luck, or destiny.

Now I ask you (the audience) - who are you?

Your Messages:

Carol:
Hi sweetheart. Wish I could have joined you at your Mom's to celebrate the birthdays of Deb and Danielle! Did you have fajitas/margaritas? Hope your weather is starting to clear so you can get to Myrtle Beach as planned. I believe I may head down valley with Mike (NZ), Anna, and Mike (GB) tomorrow. I am interested in stretching my legs so will look for daily hikes to keep the muscles tuned! Henry will have our sat phone numbers should he need us to return ASAP!
Not sure how long we will be gone, but after speaking to other group members that just got back, they highly recommended the journey!

It was great to hear from Danny and Debbie after so long ... this blog has indeed renewed a lot of friendships!

Hey, next week is National Nurses Week and it would be great if you could display my poster at work, and approach your MD's about sponsorship for the Summit Scholarship! It's great timing and I believe that some of your MD's are following the blog! After all, they could not do their jobs without nurses ... so is an investment in their future!

I love you and miss you terribly :>)

Pat :>)

AORN Friends:

Rose ... glad that you got the posters! Has someone already drawn horns on my head? I appreciate you displaying the posters and will add more legitimacy to the Summit Scholarship! Please make sure that Bonnie gets one as I would like to personally sign them when we visit Colorado in July!
I appreciate you sending thanks to Liesl ... she is great!

Canadian Friends:

Debi ... thanks for making contact with Danny and Debbie Rajoppi! What a great reunion we will have in Corpus! I have not heard from them in years so hope to maintain the contact!
Thanks for reminding me of Cinco de Mayo ... would love fajitas and margaritas right now!
Lets keep in touch regarding your June visit to NC (what city/dates). I don't believe that we have many plans, but do know that we head to Almonte the last week of June for my brother Danny's wedding on 7/7/07!
Thanks for continuing to spread the word about the site and the Summit Scholarship! See if any of your nurses are up to the $100.00 challenge for nurses, and/or any Canadians up to the same challenge as thrown down by Danny!
Thanks, as always, for the prayers!

Columbia Friends:

Bill ... great to hear from you and appreciate the donation to the Summit Scholarship! You, more than most, see the issues that arise due to a shortage of nurses in hospitals and can better appreciate the need for more qualified, competent nurses in the workplace!
It is quite beautiful here at basecamp and can't wait to show the photos on return! I have my summit packet together and includes your company flag ... look forward to the picture at the top of the world!
Please say hi to George and Barbara for me and extend my gratitude for their support!

Rick ... great to hear from you! I don't know where this white coloring came from in my beard ... but some say, okay ... maybe one or two, that it makes me look distinguished!
Hey, I believe that next week is National Nurses Week and would love for your COO/CNO to bring some attention to the Summit Scholarship! I wrote both before I left and heard nothing in return! Info is on my blog site.
Many thanks Rick :>)

Palmetto Health Friends:

Linda ... thanks for the update on the AORN Golf Tournament! Was Gary flipping burgers? I am sure that I could identify those that had a better time than others ... and might include those driving the "beer cart".
I have not heard from Greg yet? Next week is National Nurses Week and was hoping to get some exposure at PHR for the Summit Scholarship. Check with Eric to see if John or Carolyn have any plans to highlight the scholarship.
Thanks so much :>)

USC Friends:

Liesl ... during a conversation with Karen on Friday (phone interview) we discussed the potential for a Columbia media blitz during National Nurses Week next week! I told her that I had already spoke to you about an opportunity with Radio Station 93.5 and I have asked her by email, since she works directly with the media, to check into all the radio and tv stations. I did phone interviews on Friday with both Karen, and a reporter from the Charleston Post & Courier. Diane, from the Charleston Post & Courier. said that she would add the Summit Scholarship info in the article ... hope it has the right contact information as this is a follow-up to the article written in early March! If you need to contact Diane, her number is 843-937-5491.
Thanks for all that you do!

All The Others:

Ron ... great to hear from you and thanks for checking with NASCAR regarding taking their flag to the top of the world! It's all about who you know as obviously my contact was not impressed! Since I will never be doing this again I would like to see if I can take advantage of the opportunity to take NASCAR's flag to the top of the world within the next few weeks.
If NASCAR can send me a small flag (2ft. x 3ft.) and lightweight I can take it to the top of the world and get photos showing how far the spread of NASCAR's fans goes! However, if they want to do this they need to send the flag by DHL on Monday/Tuesday to the following address:
Pat Hickey
Everest Basecamp
c/o Himalayan Guides Nepal
PO Box No: 20654
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal

If the package takes 2-3 days to get to Kathmandu, it will take another 3-4 to get to me at basecamp ... which if sent on Monday/Tuesday should get here in plenty of time for my summit bid! This is a unique public relations opportunity for NASCAR and hope that it does not get bogged down by too much red tape! Would love to also take Jeff Gordon's flag/number to the top of the world too as I am a die hard fan of his!
See what you can do regarding a fast turn around as time is of the essence ... but I am willing to do the job!

Danny and Debbie ... wow, great to hear from you two after so long! I had contacted Dorothy Gomez hoping that she could get in touch with you, and am glad that Debi Keyes gave you a call! I hope you get a chance to read up on the previous blogs as this is now day #40 of my journey to summit Mt. Everest, and by doing so will complete the 7 Summits of the world (see my website: www.Amercan.us). I have been in contact with George and on my return from this trip will make plans to meet him in Galveston, rent a Harley so I can keep up with his, and hopefully have Dr. Ron Schlimmer (see above post) join us on his Harley for a ride to Corpus and enjoy a weekend of visiting old friends ... and of course eating exclusively at Kiko's on Everhart!
Yes, I have come a long way, and still have a long way to go up this hill! Keep in touch and hope you can follow the adventure. Give Donna the website address too as would be great to hear from her!
Hope that y'all are well ... keep in touch!

Mat ... great to hear from you and appreciate the kind words regarding the photos! Everything is so beautiful here that you just want to stop and take pics every few minutes!
Yes, we do look forward to the "luxuries" of basecamp, yet am sure that when the time comes will be able to transition to our home environments quite easily (I miss my bed/pillows, and look forward to going to the bathroom and not peeing in a bottle from inside a sleeping bag ... although it has it's benefits!).
I appreciate the support and well wishes, and am sure you will be impressed by Mike's photos!

Kelly ... any friend of Alice is indeed a great person. I sure miss her and our lengthy, off the wall, no holds barred discussions of how to save the world ... or at a minimum, how to make a difference/changes in our healthcare system!
I appreciate the wishes for good weather (vital here) and good karma (always welcomed).
If you get a chance it would be nice if you could mention the Summit Scholarship to your nursing leaders. Information is available on my blog site. With next week being National Nurses Week (I believe) I am hopeful that more will learn of/and support this scholarship for student nurses!
Thanks for your support, hope you can keep tuned in, and please say "hey" to Alice for me!

MC ... love the quote as we had a discussion about that very topic the other day! The ethical dilemna discussed was that of helping people that we encounter enroute to the top and are sick! It was refreshing to see that all wanted to help, however have alternate ways to render assistance so the individual climber does not put themselves in harms way!

WP ... great to hear from you and appreciate you sharing your ladder story! I wish it were that easy for all of us to deal with our fears! I still have my fear of heights, but is tempered by the fact that I have trust in
the equipment ... as you now have in your ladder!
Weather is starting as usual here with early sunshine ... and threatening clouds in the valley! Just enough time to wash, and hopefully dry, some underwear!

Wendy ... have relayed the message to Mike! Sounds like sending/receiving emails here can be complicated at times!

Jen ... you not only make Bo's day, but ours too! Thanks so much for your words of care and compassion! It truly has been a rare opportunity to bring so many people together, and always great to hear from passionate people such as yourself that the efforts are making a difference! And speaking of difference ... Bo too has made a difference in each of us through his stories, willingness to share, and of course that rare personality that can change a stranger to a friend within minutes!
Thanks as always for your support!

Kim ... happy belated birthday on Cinco de Mayo! Hope you celebrated with fajitas and margaritas!