Pound for Pound

I've been going to the rock climbing gym for some months now, and I have markedly improved. I have also seen other nascent climbers come and go, and I have noted the dedicated climbers who are regulars; I have even made some friends. I have scaled the bouldering ranks from lowly V0 climber to a semi-respectable V3 climber, though I cannot do them all; however, I did ascend a V4- the other day. Pound for pound, you have to develop your skills based on your height, weight and agility, and a tall thin guy can climb better than a guy who is jacked; I have developed as a 5'7" medium-build guy, and I have impressed myself on some days. I have even been invited personally on two outdoor expeditions by other climbers, but all of it meant nothing, until today.

When I walked into the gym and put on my shoes, I was met by a gym employee who greeted me with a fist bump. That's right! When you get to pound "the rock" with a rock gym employee, you've crossed the line from leisurely climber to respectable climber. It's like the secret handshake of a secret and exclusive club, an esoteric club with terms like, flag, barn door, campus and gaston. What else could the fist pound mean? I will admit, I'm not that great; I have a long way to go, but I guess I have reached the point where I have earned enough rock creds to deserve a fist bump. Maybe it was my mastery of the V4-, or maybe it was my scaling and controlled descent of the campus board--I don't know, but I gotta say, it felt good to pound the rock, not only upon entering, but also upon leaving.