There's a life lesson to be learned there...
I've always prided myself on being open to trying new things. So in the spirit of adventure, last weekend I tried skiing for essentially the first time. I say essentially because I really can't count the two lessons I've taken previously in the last ten years. Especially when those lessons were 3-4 years apart from each other. My husband is a skier, and we had a plan. I'd take a lesson in the morning, then he'd come and join me on what I could handle in the afternoon. The first day our plan worked swimmingly.The second day? Not so much.
Oh, my lesson went great. The instructor gave me all sorts of praise on my way down that mountain. When I reached the bottom I was so proud of myself! If I could do this, I could do anything!
Then came lunch, and then came our next trip down. This time with my husband. For those of you who have skied before, you know that when you're first starting out it doesn't matter how good of shape you are in. Your legs will be tired. You will eventually get to the point where you have less control.
I reached this point in the afternoon of day two. There we were, attempting one of the greenest of the green runs, and I was losing control. I was going to fast (in my head at least), and couldn't slow down. My solution? Scream and fall.
At one point, sitting there on the mountain with snot and tears streaming, all I could say was, "My body won't do what I want it to do. I'm so frustrated!"
Later, thinking about this, I realized that this feeling can be applied to so many things. To life. To writing.
I admit I like to be in control. I like knowing where I'm going with something, and how I'm getting there. I may be a pantser when it comes to my writing, but I have full control of just about everything else. And when I lose that control? Well, bring on the snot and tears.
But here's the thing. I got to the bottom of that mountain. It may have been slow. It may have been less than graceful. But I got there. And that feeling of pride when I reached the end? It was the same feeling of pride I get when I put a book to bed. So, okay, I may not have been in full control. The world didn't end. I didn't break anything. I survived.
There's a lesson to be learned here, but it's one only seen in hindsight. Sometimes we have to loosen the reins a little and life carry us down the mountain. Sure we may go too fast at times, and we may even fall. But we'll get to the bottom one way or another.
Labels: random musings
posted by Erin @ 8:54 AM
1 comments
