The 40 Year Old … Snowboarder?
So before last weekend, I had never been skiing or snowboarding before. I even included it in my 101 things To Do in 1001 Days. So last weekend I joined Aiden’s Boy Scout Troop on a ski trip to Winterplace, West Virginia. And based on some good advice decided I would try to learn to snowboard.
OK get your laughs out now ….
Can we continue? Thanks … I thought it would be an adventure and boy was it.
The package we had included a lesson so we eagerly got our gear and reported to class. Our “new” snowboarding group included Aiden, two other Scouts and two teenage boys and myself. We had a wonderful instructor Mark, who demonstrated great patience with the boys and me.
I must have fallen 800 times during that lesson, but each an every time (with Aiden watching me) I got up and tried again. And eventually, I was consistent enough to go down Green (easy) hills.
I loved the feeling of negotiating my way down the mountain (ok hill), and despite being incredibly tired and sore the next day, I suited up and went out to do it again.
It’s pretty simple to see there are two “Life Lessons” that were clearly illustrated …
Life Lesson #2: You should never, ever give up. No matter how many times you fall you get up dust yourself off and try it again. Tenacity pays-off. Sure tenacity hurts sometime, but if it was worth starting it is worth finishing.
And
Life Lesson #3: Don’t let yourself believe that it’s too late, or you’re too old to learn something new. It’s not and you are not.
I had a blast learning something new with my son despite the fact that later on the second day I fell and probably cracked a rib. But even then, I forced myself up one more time and tried again. Once it heals, I will definitely be back to try it again. But this time I’ll focus more on following instructor Mark’s “How to Fall” instructions.
ManagementBytes 
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