A Lonely Lesson

It was 40 degrees today, a Friday, a ski club day. This has never happened before. Usually, to spite me, ski club Friday's are much, much colder than the average frigid day here. I couldn't believe it worked out for me!

My plan for ski club tonight was to learn how to snowboard. My students have been wanting to teach me. I thought we could try a little role reversal and let them play teacher. I thought it'd be fun. So, when we  got the the ski mountain, I went over and got my snowboard and boot rentals and I headed out with my students (teachers in this situation) to learn how to snowboard. 

We walked up a small portion of the hill, lugging our snowboards along. When we got to the top of the hill, mind you a crowd had gathered below with their cameras and video cameras ready, the kids began in on their magnificent, and obviously well planned snowboarding lesson. Their instruction? They said, "this is how you do it. You put your weight on this foot. Then, to turn, you put your weight on the other foot. Like this, watch," and they took off down the hill. Awesome. My teachers just took off down the hill and I don't even know how to stand up! 

What was I to do? I decided if the 10-year olds that I had left to teaching me could snowboard down that hill, I should be able to do. I have always considered myself athletic, so I knew I could figure it out. I stood and fell down often that first trip down. My second trip down, with no more detail in the so-called lesson, I fell a few more times down and then decided I was heading to the chairlift. Screw this baby-steps crap, if I was doing this, I was going all out. I just needed to throw myself down that mountain and figure out how to survive. 

I did just that, I threw myself down the mountain. By some greater power of God, I didn't die. In fact, I didn't even fall. My body somehow seemed to know exactly what it needed to do. I mean, I was very confident I could figure it out, essentially teach myself, but I was surprised I did it that fast. I shifted my weight, I turned my board, I floated down the mountain. It was an awesome feeling and it only got better as the night went on. 

After my night, I have concluded that I would love to spend all of my free moments out there on a snowboard. The only thing that would make it better is if Jeff would give it a shot and go with me. Somehow, with time and distance being an issue, I don't see it happening!