Survival In Jim Davidson's The Ledge

Key to Survival

“Life is full of scary crevasses. Illness, accidents, and financial disasters can appear without warning. Seemingly secure institutions like banks, businesses, and marriages collapse, just like snow bridges weakened by the sun. At some time, everyone will fall into one of life’s crevasses. Crawling out of these crevasses, overcoming life’s challenges, is something each of us must face” (249). Life is not something that we find, but something we create through our experiences, comprising of failures and successes. If we continue to remain silent and content with failures, we are not only limiting ourselves, but our nation’s ability to move forward. No matter the struggle, it is vital that we push ourselves and never stop until

Davidson would have never been able to act as a role model and inspire others, if he gave up on the greatest gift God has given him: life. “You didn’t get that gift handed to you, you earned it” (214). Therefore, Davidson rallied the strength to not let himself drop eighty feet down the glacial-crevasse. Even when he hung in the trance for a half hour with meltwater crystallizing on his jacket, the sun setting, his friend’s body turning blue beside him, he kept going, because he knew that he had a future, family, and a story that people needed to hear. Sometimes life throws us obstacles that we cannot control and these unexpected changes are terrifying, as it feels like we have no power over our own circumstances. However, we need to understand that we have the choice of how we are going to move on from it. Henceforth, take on those challenges and go outside your comfort zone. The ability to tough it out and bounce back from the adversity, makes you stronger and more capable for other challenges and opportunities

In my own life, I’ve experienced moments like after my mom’s car accident, when I needed to have grit and resilience. Of course, there were times where it seemed easier to give up and lose hope, but Davidson’s story inspired me to keep pushing myself, as “personal growth means challenging ourselves...even if it calls for bigger risks” (79). Davidson’s story will carry on with me through my college years, as college can be a stressful time, as they are the crucial years of study before achieving a rewarding career. The journey won’t be easy, but after learning about Davidson's grit and resilience to save himself from falling into an eighty foot crevasse, I know that if I am in a difficult situation, that I can do incredible things if I try my hardest, tough it out, and bounce back from adversity. Thank you Jim Davidson for sharing The Ledge, as I will carry on these lessons of grit and resilience whenever I face