Sometimes what seems to be a good idea should just stay an idea.  When we had the chance to take a family work/vacation to a Colorado ski resort, we jumped. It sounded so romantic ... fluttering snow, crackling fire in the ski lodge, and a family activity we could all learn and experience together.  I must have seen that in a movie.

The only snow I had experienced usually melted in four days max.  I thought I was prepared, but Colorado cold and southwest Missouri cold are like comparing junior high to the NFL.  Not only is the air cold, there’s not much of it.

The boys went to the top of the mountain.  Their trip down was how they learned.  Six year old Jill went to kiddie ski school and within three hours she fearlessly headed straight down the slopes with no poles.  Someone that short doesn’t have far to fall and getting back up isn’t a problem.  After a few instructions, Jim the athlete, was navigating flawlessly.  For me it was a totally different experience.

My greatest challenge was getting off the lift. I didn’t know an adult human could fall that fast.  All the really cool people made disembarking look so easy.  They were always so kind to scoot me out of the way as they got off so I wouldn’t cause a ten person pile up.  

After my first ungraceful slide off the lift, gulping for air and saying bad things in my mind, I finally made it into an upright position and looked up. It was then I realized why people ski.  If you’ve never been to a snow covered mountain top, put it on your bucket list. 

So much for the family skiing together.  I never saw the kids unless they whizzed by yelling, “On your left. Oh, Hi Mom!”  Jim would patiently take the two hour trip down the green slopes with me.  The boys determined I liked to ski at romance speed so it was appropriate Dad left the black slopes and take a trip with me every once in a while.

Actually skiing did turn out to be a good idea in the long run.  I did realize a couple of things: if you have the chance, learn things when you’re young, especially if falling is involved, and no matter how many times you fall the only way off the mountain is to get up and try again.