Having a little blind faith...

I just finished watching the season finale of a show called "Impossible Expedition." It's a show created by the infamous Mark Burnett (think "Survivor") and I have to tell you, it was pretty extreme. It was a race consisting of ten legs across the rough terrian of Morocco, and I do mean rough. These contestants had to climb mountains, ride horses, scale walls, navigate rapids, jump out of planes, and tackle a hundred other challenges I can't even imagine trying.

There were thirteen teams of three who varied from football players to cops (who quite frankly were incredibly out of shape and made me wonder just how they managed to "serve and protect" anybody.) There was a team of three gypsy men who established themselves early, seeming to raise the bar with every leg of the race. You never heard them exchange a harsh word, and their ability to work in tandem was a tribute to their long-standing friendship. I enjoyed watching them embrace each challenge with vigor and enthusiasm, always confident in both their abilities and their bond. But I confess, another team pulled at my heartstrings, and judging from the response they got from even their fiercest competitors, I wasn't the only one.

This team consisted of three men. Three long-time friends, who when you read between the lines, epitomize true friendship. One had served in Afganistan, the others, long-time mountain climbing buddies. Here's the twist; one of the men was blind. That's right. Blind. He hung on to his "guide's" shoulder blade, faithfully following him over cliffs, down mountains, out of planes, they didn't alter one activity for him. He rode horses several times, with only his friend's voice for guidance. He zip-lined across a monsterous canyon with only his cane as protection from zagged rock faces. Numberous times, he found himself turned over in a kayak among raging rapids. He would stop and listen. Listen over the roar of water for the voice that would undoubtedly lead him to safety "This way Erik, I'm to your right. I've got you."