Becoming Earnest

They said, “This, too, shall pass”. When you’re in it, it feels permanent. Time is such a lovely thing, yet also cruel. Today’s day, acclimation, muscles adapting to the work, settling in, I woke with a new confidence. Maybe it was my reading yesterday afternoon in the ski lodge by an open window on eastern philosophy? Maybe it was the action of living in the moment, the present? But today was when my thoughts and body came together. I released old stories that plague my mind everyday. I silently toasted Ernest this morning as I walked out into the frozen air, strapped my skis afoot, and started toward the mountain. Today my mind only thought of the next turn, the steep slope of the snowy mountain, the burn in my thighs felt better. I felt stronger. This being my 4th day at altitude, my lungs were better able to absorb the little oxygen in the thin cold air. After three days of skiing, my muscles were coming online. And this remembering of skill and strength gave my mind hope. I am not worn out. It just takes more time.

I skied hard today. My first run began with a traverse across avalanche terrain. I found a spot that looked attractive to me, and after a rest, dropped down the steep face. Timing for turns imperative. Strength and agility paramount. Youth. Vigor. Challenge. Risk. Breathing hard in the morning air I did what I came to do. And it felt fantastic!