How to Lose Your Self-Esteem in Just Three Days - Part II

Part II:

With my newfound confidence I was standing with my family and friends at the bottom of the run, getting ready to enter the lift line when a teenage snowboarder literally plowed into me at full speed. Had I been a concrete pillar standing there, the boy would have taken quite a hit. As I am not a concrete pillar, I was thrown into the air with his snowboard cutting across the back of my right thigh. I laid in a heap as people gathered around, some to stare at the old woman in a heap, some to offer assistance to the old woman in a heap.

That was day one.

Day Two: I respected the mountain and stayed off.

Day Three: My kids had taken to snowboarding like fish to water. Once again, I was lured by the beauty of the mountain and decided to give it another go, even with the softball size bruise on my hindquarters. My plan was simple. I would stick to the bunny slope for the morning; show my group that I'm a gamer and peacefully retire to the picnic area at the base for the remainder of the afternoon. After one stable run on the bunny, my husband coerced me to take the Chile Express lift and ski a green with his constant protection and supervision. Can you hear the mountain's lure? Can you hear the wicked laughter wafting through the mountain winds?

I started out strong, pizza wedging all the way. The scenery was beautiful. My fear was stabelized for the moment. About halfway down there came a couple of steep turns. This was the beginning of the end of all my self-esteem.

I fell. Chris helped me up. I fell. Chris tried to help me up and we both slid a ways. I fell and twisted my knee. Each time I fell on my bruised back side aggrevating not only the injury but my weary self-respect. Let me say now that I am not a big cryer. I'm pretty sure I've cried more these two ski days than I have in the past year collectively.

When we made it to the bottom of the mountain I was also at the bottom of my hope. I was holding my skiis, Chris had my poles and asked, "What do you want me to do with these?" There was only one appropriate response, "Drive them through my heart.", I said. I gathered my belongings, returned them to the rental place and took my seat on the shuttle back to my car.