Another Ski Story
As I was talking to my father the other day, and telling him about my most recent ski adventures with Thotman and some of my family, he told me his own ski story. After hearing him describe his skiing experiences, I now don’t wonder he didn’t take us all out skiing when we were young. His story goes like this.
Back in about 1948, my dad’s (Norman) recreational experience had to rotate around the family farm. My Grandpa, George, didn’t take much time out for such frivolousness. Almost any recreational temptation, which he would succumb to, had to with fishing in the summer time. In fact my favorite photo of Grandpa Haroldsen is of him sporting his catch along side the riverbank, while on a rare fishing trip to Island Park, Idaho.
My dad tells me that as for skiing, his experience amounted to standing in tow behind a car on the poorly plowed county roads around his home. So when his big chance to really go skiing came up. Norman got bold and asked for the unthinkable, a day off from work. That might not have been so unreasonable, but he had been away, going to college for the fall semester, and he would only be home for a few weeks for the Christmas break. His father, George, thought that his youngest son needed to pitch in and make up for lost time while he was home for the Holidays.
Norman’s buddies were headed to the ski slopes. A place one or two hours away (depending on the roads), called Pine Creek Basin, was the closest ski resort. As ski resorts go (by today’s standard), it wasn’t much to look at. They had a rope tow to pull the skier to the top of the slope. Like I said, the only thing nineteen-year-old Norman had ever done on skis before was to tow behind a car on the snow covered roads around his home. So when the rope tow had finally done its job and Norman was looking down the treeless opening of the mountainside, he didn’t have a clue what to do next.
Peer pressure is an amazing thing. It can cause an other wise normal healthy individual to risk life and limb. Norman had to keep up with his buddies, so when they pushed off at the top, so did he. Not only did he keep up to them, but he passed them the first time they turned to switchback across the slope. Norman didn’t have a clue how to turn on skis, nor did he realize that switching back and forth across the hill side was how to control his speed going down. So while his buddies were cutting diagonally across the top of the hill, Norman headed straight down the middle. Now the only thing slowing him was the wind drag as his speeding bullet body hit speeds of 10,000 miles per hour (as he describes it).
Now all that is bad enough, but Norman had one more disadvantage on this his début on the ski slopes. Ski equipment in those days was nothing to brag about anyway, but what little break away protection designed into the ski bindings were apparently broke. Normans fantastic high speed ski run down the mountain paled by the even more fantastic high speed crash at the bottom of the hill. Legs, arms, body, and skis flew everywhere, but when all came to a stop, those skis were still nailed to the feet of this now human pretzel. Ski patrol came to pick up the pieces with their toboggan. And Norman was just thankful to still be alive. Or was he? Now he’d have to face his dad while on crutches. There would be no extra projects that he could help with during this Christmas vacation. No help feeding the cattle or other winter chores. He couldn’t do anything but lie around the house and wait to go back to the winter/spring semester of college. And that would be on crutches of course.
Dad said, that was the last time he ever went skiing. I wonder why? A little thing like a brush with death and then months of pain and suffering while his legs healed… followed by years of ridicule from his dad as he mocked Norman’s original request.
“Just let me have this one day to go skiing and then I’ll help you everyday after that.”
It’s a small wonder I my dad didn’t take us skiing when I was growing up.
That story just cracks me up. If that had been the way my first skiing had gone… I would never go back either. But I can just so picture in my head his face going down that hill. Oh my gosh… to die for. Vallerie
Every time I hear that story I’m;
#1. Amazed that Dad actually did something like go skiing.
and
#2. Amazed that he didn’t kill himself.
Thanks for writing it down so I can save a copy in my files.
life like skiing is best done when prepared to do it…with someone to help you get your bearings and help you thru the first few hills…good parents do that with their children, good friends do that for their friends, and good people do that as often as they see the need. I made a comment a while back to laird that back when he was younger the skis were nailed to the feet…you demonstrated it perfectly. Gradual progress and proper training or counsel in life as on the slopes…learning from example and small trial and error rather than large ones…has proven to be the best way to approach most challenges or new adventures. As I read this blog I went back in my good but very short memory to a time when I was younger and we had a discussion about working all the time…too many parents have the philosophy that the work can never be done…and that if it is..tomorrows needs to be moved up and a small cushion built…the problem with that is all work and no play makes jack a very dull boy…my grandfather, a farmer himself, always insisted on proper leisure time. Recreation he said is made up of two words.. RE and CREATE.. to remake yourself so when you returned you could focus well on the tasks at hand. I have been talking with a friend about taking a vacation, and he insists he simply does not have the time. I see his lack of effectiveness in most of what he does. I see him tired and unenthused, oh I know that a change is often as good as a rest, and I know that a day of leisure is often more taxing than a day of work…but there is something about getting away from the same ole same ole that makes it new and vibrant when you return. IF you love what you do…. in our lives we have 168 hours a week…sleep 49 that leaves 119…eat bathe etc…14 gone…105….work 50 + that leaves 55 to recreate…if you work more it leaves less for other things like community, church, friends, family, and to recreate. there is so much more to life than spending all day every day performing tasks that can be done with time for other enjoyable persuits… I think our parents were of the mind that they were doing more by working more hours..but I believe that work expands to fill the time alotted to it..if we give our WORK our entire lives..it will consume us…all of us…every minute of every day…but if we give those necessary tasks only 50 hours a week, we seem to get it all done… (continued in the next comment)
I knew a cafe owner (my blog 34)..who went home every day after the lunch hour and returned from 5 t0 8… he told me once that if he stayed all day, and worked, the tasks filled his whole day, but when he left he got as much done in the hours of work as when they were more…I have found that to be the case as well in my life…some days I do have to spend extra hours at a job..but if I do not take the time to go dancing…to go skiing…to go for an overniter and to a play…to visit the grand canyon on a three day break..or zion, bryce, arches or some of the national monuments… I miss out on too much of life. living life like that is like bombing the hill..straight down, without traversing or turning…and it always in every case ends at the bottom of the hill…either joyously or in pain…I prefer to smell the flowers…see the sunsets…work hard and play hard…with the knowledge that we are NOT machines..but people who need to relax…recreate…spend our leisure being …1) creative 2) social 3) intellectual 4) physical 5) spritual ….I appreciate the fact that YOU have chosen to put a few things ahead of your work…your WIFE, your family, your fitness, your personal fulfillment as in your blogging and family history research, your friends and your community and church… I admire those who take the time to enjoy music, and sports, and education, and nature…and not just WORK from dawn to dusk…I have loved your stories about the gremlins…and there will always be more to do if we tell ourselves that no amount accomplished is ever enough… I found a photo album of my father I had never seen a few years back…in its first pages were a young man on skis…I never knew my father skiied…he never did with ME…but he bought me my first skis as a surprise and helped me get to sundance ski school that first year…I recall him bringing home a deer but he never took me hunting, my grandfather and uncle did that (my blogs 95, 131) but he always had time to fish with me, to play pool with me, to bowl with me, to golf with me and to ride ponies then later horses with me. I think we worked on cars and tractors and mini bikes, we picked fruit and gardened, we hiked timp and packed into the unitas. We played chess and checkers and many card games. We went shooting in the west desert, spilunking, and sightseeing…yellowstone, arches, mesa verde, and back to his home state of missouri…to the zoo, and to sporting events.. and he never missed a day of work. nor left hay unbailed…or cattle & horses unfed…or flowers unplanted. snow not shoveled or leaves unraked. Time was OURS…and I have enjoyed each and every hour as much as I do those i spend with you and your family. I hope you learn the secondary lesson from that ski story…that by not doing the switch backs in life…slowing, stopping, and just standing on the footsleds, talking with friends…that the end comes way too fast..and never as it is best lived… I hope life comes at you as you go at life…with enthusiasm and grace and the realization that no matter how hard we work..the time to create ourselves..again and again is just as important…..but I have this feeling you already knew that…
a moving anecdote (no pun intended)
oh, since Thotman taught you snow skiing, maybe I can someday teach you to play an acoustic guitar (I’ve successfully taught a little bit of chording on guitars and pianos in the past)
Rachid’s* RULES:1- You can kiss the person who kissed you!2- You can’t kiss the person more than 3 times3- You -MUST- kiss 6 other people4- You should kiss them in public! Paste it on their user page! c’mon..don’t be scared of public displays of affection5- Random kisses are perfectly okay! (and sweet)6- You should most definitely get started kissing right away!888888__________888888_8888888________8888888_88888888______88888888_8888_8888____8888_8888_8888__8888__8888__8888_8888___88888888___8888_8888____888888____8888_8888_____8888_____8888_8888______88______8888_8888______________8888_8888______________8888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_888888__________888888__888888________888888____888888888888888888_______88888888888888_________88888888888888_______88888888888888888_____888888________88888____88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________888888________88888_____88888888888888888________88888888888888_____888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_8888888888888888888888_8888888888888888888888_8888888888888888888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_______8888888888________________________888888888888888___________________888888822222228888_________________88888822222222288888_______________888888222222222228888822228888______888882222222222222288222222222888___8888822222222222222222222222222288___8888822222222222222222222222222_88___88888222222222222222222222222__888___888822222222222222222222222___888____8888222222222222222222222____888_____8888222222222222222222_____888_______8882222222222222222_____8888_________888822222222222______888888__________8888882222______88888888_____________888888_____888888888_________________88888888888888_______________________888888888________________Send to 10 of your friends to show them how much luv u have for them. If u get this back it means u r luved 2x as much
Enjoy your blog walking. hehehe.. Vallerie
– You can kiss the person who kissed you!2- You can’t kiss the person more than 3 times3- You -MUST- kiss 6 other people4- You should kiss them in public! Paste it on their user page! c’mon..don’t be scared of public displays of affection5- Random kisses are perfectly okay! (and sweet)6- You should most definitely get started kissing right away!888888__________888888_8888888________8888888_88888888______88888888_8888_8888____8888_8888_8888__8888__8888__8888_8888___88888888___8888_8888____888888____8888_8888_____8888_____8888_8888______88______8888_8888______________8888_8888______________8888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_888888__________888888__888888________888888____888888888888888888_______88888888888888_________88888888888888_______88888888888888888_____888888________88888____88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________888888________88888_____88888888888888888________88888888888888_____888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_8888888888888888888888_8888888888888888888888_8888888888888888888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_______8888888888________________________888888888888888___________________888888822222228888_________________88888822222222288888_______________888888222222222228888822228888______888882222222222222288222222222888___8888822222222222222222222222222288___8888822222222222222222222222222_88___88888222222222222222222222222__888___888822222222222222222222222___888____8888222222222222222222222____888_____8888222222222222222222_____888_______8882222222222222222_____8888_________888822222222222______888888__________8888882222______88888888_____________888888_____888888888_________________88888888888888_______________________888888888________________Send to 10 of your friends to show them how much luv u have for them. If u get this back it means u r luved 2x as much
You can blame your wife for part of this. She’s one of TWO that sent it to me. Since you’re my favorite storyteller, you deserve a kiss on the cheek for brightening my days! Stay warm.
That’s just it, Ron, I don’t even do chocolate anymore. I’ve mysteriously lost my sweet tooth BIG TIME. I have no vices anymore…..I’m just pitiful, aren’t I? Thanks for your sympathy on the paint ball issue. I don’t get worked up over many things, but this is one thing that has my goat. Poor GMan doesn’t know what to do with me at times like this and when I’m in anaphalactic shock. He should have broken out in a rash with his worry.
What a great story. I never got hurt skiing but I was more lucky than skilled. I remember the fear the first few times and the thrill when I actually arrived at the bottom safely. Very exciting….
Wow Ron, that was some story, out to experience fun with sking and a disaster, unexpected and could of been, we’d rather not go there, his injury was enough to put him out of commision for awhile, would make me nervious to introduce to my family to sking, he had his good reasons from his aspects. But am glad you gave it a try and now are hooked and your working on your wife and she is finding it fun, you never know. Have fun next weekend, a great get away, nice folks to meet, the air fresh and clean. Thanks for your most welcome visit. I miss visiting Val, still won’t let me comment, darn! Ron,Thank you for sharing your family stories. Have a great week end with your Family! Give Valerie my hello’s and love. As Ever Deanie
PS. Sending Valleria and you Ron back kisses–
Rachid’s* RULES:1- You can kiss the person who kissed you!2- You can’t kiss the person more than 3 times3- You -MUST- kiss 6 other people4- You should kiss them in public! Paste it on their user page! c’mon..don’t be scared of public displays of affection5- Random kisses are perfectly okay! (and sweet)6- You should most definitely get started kissing right away!888888__________888888_8888888________8888888_88888888______88888888_8888_8888____8888_8888_8888__8888__8888__8888_8888___88888888___8888_8888____888888____8888_8888_____8888_____8888_8888______88______8888_8888______________8888_8888______________8888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_88888____________88888_888888__________888888__888888________888888____888888888888888888_______88888888888888_________88888888888888_______88888888888888888_____888888________88888____88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________88888__________________888888________88888_____88888888888888888________88888888888888_____888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_8888888888888888888888_8888888888888888888888_8888888888888888888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_888888__________888888_______8888888888________________________888888888888888___________________888888822222228888_________________88888822222222288888_______________888888222222222228888822228888______888882222222222222288222222222888___8888822222222222222222222222222288___8888822222222222222222222222222_88___88888222222222222222222222222__888___888822222222222222222222222___888____8888222222222222222222222____888_____8888222222222222222222_____888_______8882222222222222222_____8888_________888822222222222______888888__________8888882222______88888888_____________888888_____888888888_________________88888888888888_______________________888888888________________Send to 10 of your friends to show them how much luv u have for them. If u get this back it means u r luved 2x as much
Deanie, I don’t know how it is happening.. but when I come to your space.. I hear TWO songs playing… You are talented.. ehehhe.. Hope you are having a great weekend. VallerieJanuary 07 6:48 PM
oh what a fabulous story and so well told. I love the name Norman as well. Your father so brave – breaking free and trying something new with no fear – how lovely. So sorry about the ending of the slope but falling seems to be a way of learning often. Learning to ski as a child I found falling somewhat hysterical (though only when no injuries were felt) – I think that is what makes childhood so wonderful sometimes – the ability to crash and burn and see it as all part of it and return to the same adventure with the same vigor – a resilance (spelling) perhaps that with age and older bodies of course and with the odd expection of perfection all the time, we lose a bit as adults. I smile when I see that bold man flying straight down the mountain – for knowing the painful conclusion it is obvious he is spiriting through adventure of a first time. Perhaps he might have skied again had it not been for the sort of reckoning when he got home. Oh how I promised my own mother that if only I could _________ I would do ______ for days on end following! My best to you and it is nice to visit your space! I look forward to returning. Wow 9 children!! -patti
Wow, I could open your space!!! Thanks for your nice comment Ron. I have to say that your every comment makes me remember somethings that I forgat. Maybe I will write a post later about "Classic Zeynep words". Because so many critic said that way about me once upon a time. Well… I will back with a dictionary to read this entry. By for now… Zeynep.
踩 踩踩踩 踩踩踩 踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩 踩踩 踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩 踩踩踩踩踩踩踩踩I couldn’t leave a comment to Vallerie’s space. This is for her…
Hi Ron,
My grandmother ran the telephone exchange for a few years in another town and my mom worked for her so we were 3 generations of telephone operators!!! That job is pretty much obsolete now… another one of my skills that no one has need of anymore,lol.
Hello Ron,Very nice. Subtle story underpining the message behind your blog was played out very gradually. Nice comic twist at the end. Humorously and very enjoyable I found it.
So its in that respect that I’d like to invite you to participate in the
BEACON Awards for 2007, a little venture that I’ve decided to run at my Space
honouring cyberspace excellence. Of course, your participation is strictly
voluntary. If you’re interested please leave a comment in this blog
and read this Guide
for more information if you’re perplexed at all.-Andy
Hello Castle Ghost !!!! It was good to have you visit again, I hope you enjoyed the holidays.
Its late here and we are all still wide awake as the Gators just beat the Ohio State Buckeyes for the
National Championship !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GATORS ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!
after reading your blog i now want to go on a ski trip………wish it was a bit closer for us.
Have a great day
Beth
PS feel free to roam the castle at any time !!!!!!!!!!
How funny is that?!? Well he was lucky to live and tell that story. I know my hubby would love to go skiing and last year he had knee surgury so that worries me. Me I don’t ski but I love the shops and having a hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint schnaps! LOL
Ron, still Valarie’s space won’t let me comment, share with her– loved her Sandman story, even though leaves you wandering what did she really see? Funny how our memories work, love that other peoples memory brings ours up, what fun we have sharing that, we could all write a book, but some are better then other’s as they have a way with words. I did write a mystery but never finished. Your story telling is rubbing off on her, LOL. Again have FUN this week end with skiing with Val, a great time to be had. Deanie
HI Dad,
I loved the story its like your actual story. Anways um I think its pretty funny to. So at least you didn’t have that happen to you. anways I just wanted to tell you all that and that I think you are a really good at skiing and I want to be as good as you. Well I’m proble should go see ya.
Clarissa
That was wonderful Ron.
Hugs,
~Linda~