“That was harder than it seemed.” How many times have you heard that? A lot I would think. You know what I never hear?
“That was easier than it seemed.” There’s a reason of course. There are very few tasks that one could describe with such a bold statement. If it was so easy, you wouldn’t bother saying anything about it. But there is one activity that has inspired me to shout that phrase aloud after accomplishing it. Skiing!
Now stay with me on this. Skiing isn’t easy I know. In fact, I’m a terrible skier. On the rare occasions that I have hit the slopes I’ve been told that I look like I’m in the act of falling the entire way down the hill. I’m the rodeo clown of the western slopes. Avoiding certain doom by the slimmest of margins with a twist of the back or a swivel of hips.
So what makes me think its easy? To me, its because before I head down the hill I look down and it looks so damn hard. When I make it to the bottom, I turn to where my perilous journey began and think, that wasn’t as hard as it looked. It’s all about perspective I guess.
So how does a guy raised on stickball conquer, well survive, the slopes of the Rockies? I ski three feet at a time. My whole world on the way down is the three feet in front of my ski tips. Three feet a thousand times. I get down, but damn its exhausting.
It may not seem fun to you, but I love every nerve rattling exhilarating minute if it. You see, I have a system. I take breaks and look around me. I get to breathe in the freshest air, cut through the bluest sky and see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and all I have to do is ski three feet at a time.
The more daunting the task the smaller the steps. It’s easier than it seems.
