I set a goal-to hike the 4100-foot ascent of Half Dome in Yosemite I was drawn to this destination by its beauty a beauty not because it was perfect but because it was imperfect Half Dome is shape is unforgettably distinctive because it is broken If it were whole it would lose its uniqueness The spirit-building message was not lost on me Just because I was not perfect did not mean I could not stand as tall and mighty as anyone else