Ten days ago, my husband and I, coupled by some good friends, took a trip to Keystone, Colorado. It was a trip to escape the hustle and bustle of "real life" and to just sit back and relax. I knew we were going to have fun, I knew I was going to enjoy the beautiful scenery. What I didn't know was that there was going to be a life lesson worth paying attention to - and I don't mean learning how to snowplow!
We arrived on a Friday night and by Saturday morning, we were dressed in our ski gear, had our equipment rented and were ready to hit the slopes. I would not consider any of our group to be professional skiers, although some definitely had more talent than others (I was definitely among the others), but it was vacation, the scenery was gorgeous, and we were ready to have some fun. The first trip up the mountain left me filled with nervousness and excitement as we climbed in altitude. Once we got off the gondola and strapped our feet into our skis, we were ready...I think.
The first run started off nice and easy, and it didn't take too long before I remembered the words of my ski instructor from some 20 year ago. By the time I rounded the first curve, I may have even gotten a little cocky at my progress...until I hit the first descent where I started to pick up speed! So much for my gradual zig-zag motion down the hills...immediately my toes and knees pointed inward and I locked myself into a snowplow that no one would dare try to pull me out of! To my surprise, I managed to get myself safely down that bit of steepness without falling. (My knees were killing me at this point, but I was still upright) We ended up on another gradual trail where my seemingly effortless zig-zag picked up again...ahhh - I really do love to ski! Then, before I know it I'm picking up even more speed and heading straight down again! Once again, I'm locked in my snowplow position, fighting tooth and nail to stay up! On top of all of this, the ski trails cross and I am now being bombarded by flying snowboarders and Olympic-level skiers (well, maybe not Olympic-level, but they were good!) As much as I am trying to avoid them, they are trying to avoid me, and I just know I am going to end up either killing myself or taking several people down with me! Finally, it dawns on me how ridiculous I must look locked in this hideous snowplow, so I think "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". Yep, that's right...I loosened up on the snowplow and attempted to hurl myself down the mountain, poles flying and clearly looking like I have lost complete control (which, in all honesty, I had). Of course, the end result of this "stunt" was what anyone would expect...me sliding on my back down the mountain with my skis straight up in the air. When I finally came to a halt and got my bearings back (and checked to make sure all four limbs were still firmly attached to my body), I sat up and looked around only to see an entire ski school of 4 year olds skiing right past me. Completely aware of how pathetic I looked, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and went back to snowplowing down the "steep" parts and zig-zagging through the easy-going and gradual trails.
As I sit here at my desk and think back to that trip, I immediately think of the lesson meant to be learned by me during that long weekend in Colorado - how my run down that mountain parallels so much to living life day to day. Everyday we have mountains to climb and everyday we have obstacles to go through to get us back to solid ground. Sometimes, it seems like the ride is effortless, like the nice gentle ski trails, and we can sit back and enjoy the view. But then, also, we can get too comfortable and almost a bit cocky, like I did. It's at that time of over-confidence that the terrain changes and we see ourselves staring straight down the face of the mountain. Some of us reach that point and immediately revert to the "snowplow" trying to take it as slow as possible, others will point their skis straight down and enjoy the thrill of the ride. Some of us, like I did, will try to "fake it" so as not to look like we don't know what we're doing, even though it is apparent to everyone how truly out of control we really are.
I guess the lesson I learned on that gorgeous winter day in Keystone is that we are at different levels and stages of our life. Some of us have no problem speeding down the mountain, dodging obstacles and getting to the end as fast as we can. Some of us are cautious and want to take the safest route possible. And then there are some that are just out there to have fun and to learn new things (like the 4 year olds that skied past me as I was laying in the snow).
That's what is so awesome about life....we are all at these different levels, but we are allowed to co-exist on the same mountain. We all face the same obstacles and encounters and embrace them in a way that works the best for us. And, in the end, we all arrive at the bottom of the mountain....some of us get there faster, and some are a bit more sore when they arrive. But, like I learned, it doesn't matter how you get there...the important part is that you arrive!
