“Isn’t it beautiful?” my new neighbor and friend Reinaldo asked me as I chugged along behind him on the trail.
"Huh? Oh, yeah,” I panted, looking up briefly at the white-limbed trees surrounding us, then back down at my feet as I concentrated on this novel mode of transportation.
There I was, finally accomplishing a lifelong goal, along with a bit of irony. This winter sports opportunity only presented itself to me after meeting our new neighbors. They’re from Brazil, a country not known for snow, and Reinaldo was attracted to the snow, as it was something new and unusual for him. On one of his first visits to Wisconsin, he strapped on some skis and learned to enjoy our abundant natural resource. While not yet a winter sports professional, Reinaldo knows more about skiing than I do. He was a patient coach as he handed out tips on how to keep moving forward, while I did my best to keep my face out of the snow. But I did fall down. Several times in fact, and one time I hit the ground pretty hard on my side, falling into the bushes, and tangling my skis and poles in the thicket. I laughed and struggled to pull myself back up. Reinaldo took pictures.
So, to hell with dignity! It was a good day with a good friend, and I was (for the most part) skiing!