Author Topic: The Child in Me  (Read 533 times)

jim-ratliff

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Re: The Child in Me
« on: October 24, 2013, 03:57:07 pm »



As Living Proof described, I am a thinker and an "over" thinker.  Interestingly, some of my best thinking is when I'm not thinking about it.  A solution to a problem just seems to pop into my head;  I guess my brain has been thinking about whatever without me directing the thinking.


Anyway, for me the "smile" is often AFTER the thinking/concentrating.  The Fairfax County Cross County bike trail has a section that crosses a little stream, about 80 feet across of water 6-10" deep.  First time Lynn didn't make it across, but I did.  That brought a HUGE smile to my face.  Riding through a section that has stymied me in the past also brings an "accomplishment smile."


Even in sports I was pretty good at, the correct behavior still becomes second nature, but you still think about where you need to be.  The smile comes that 1 in 20 times you back up a play, there is an overthrow, and you throw out the runner trying to advance to next base.  That combination of thinking and execution and opportunity always brought a huge (but only inwardly) smile to my face.


For me, I think that is also true of skiing.  It's still not like walking for me; I have to think about what various parts of my body should be doing.  But sometimes (not often enough) the feeling of knowing I did it well is itself a tremendous feeling.


And I definitely agree with LP about the whole other side of skiing, the feelings and the awe of the beauty of nature.  I always remind myself never to get to that point where the act of skiing gets in the way of the experience of skiing; and if I ever ski a whole day without stopping and just looking around, then someone should whack me in the head with their ski pole (gently, please, no concussions).



"If you're gonna play the game boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."