Distilled Spirits

I read a story once about a cub reporter in California who was interviewing an old mountain man. The old-timer told about crossing the Plains, wintering in the High Sierras, fighting grizzly bears, and other hair raising incidents. At the end of the interview, the reporter asked the old-timer, "When you experienced these situations, did you ever think you had reached the end of your rope?" The mountain man thought a moment and said, "You know, it depends on how you look at the rope. When you think you are at the end of your rope, just stop and turn the rope around. You are no longer at the end, but are now at the beginning. The whole rope is now before you and you have all the room you need."