Bogus Basin is the name of the ski resort up the mountain in the Treasure Valley. Only a 45 minuet drive from Idaho's state capital city Boise. This is a very popular place to go skiing and the panoramic view is breathing. I was 14 years old when I went skiing for the very first time in my life. No one told me it was going to be so hard to stay up right, in the first 2 hours after putting on my skis I had crashed into a building, a plastic mesh fence and tripped a whole group of people. I then ended up face first into the bunny hill and completely stuck until my little friend Sara swung by to pull me out of the snow bank laughing while explaining "You can take your skis off and just carry them to the ski lift." I was surprised for I thought once they were on I had to walk every where in them. Sara told me in car on our way up the mountain that skiing was so much fun and riding the ski lift was like flying. But she didn't realize she had to teach me the most basic steps. Yet she stayed by my side in the first part of the morning on the slopes and also said that once I had my first lesson I would be alright, even though I was completely flustered. I was glad to escape my skis in finding my mother at the lodge with our new baby brother Daren. Both of them were sitting cozy by the heater and sunny window, my mom kept a clean organized table as she read her books and nursed her son. "I can't do it!" I cried wiping my frustrated tears as I sat down taking off my hat, gloves and coat. Mom pour me a warm cup of Russian tea. She chuckled "It's only been an hour!" I began my detail description of all the people I had crashed into and how embarrassed I was. "I hate it! I can't even walk, I don't know how to stop or how even to use the poles!" Mom shook her head and sat down next to me "You have a lesson coming up in a half hour once you talk to your teacher you will be fine." I frowned back at her saying "I think this is a very dangerous sport." I glanced at the clock still protesting "Skiing isn't for me I just know it! I almost hit a kid just now trying to ski over to the lodge! I am going to kill someone!" Mom laughed as she handed me a bag of perfectly sliced carrot sticks, I have always wondered to this day how did mom cut such perfectly shape carrots? As I rambled on and on while eating a carrot stick, She kept encouraging me not to give up so soon. "I made a promise to Grandpa NOT to do anything dangerous while skiing, and THIS is DANGEROUS!" Mom burst out laughing as I threw my hands up in the air. "Debby Debby Debby." She replied while shaking her head then pointing towards the huge window that over looked the gathering people outside by the ski lift "Your lesson starts down there soon, just go and give it one more try. You paid for the lesson after all and can't get your money back." I agreed as I slowly left her, while I got bundled up to soon fall flat on my face.
Now when skiing I found myself in crazy situations almost every time I hit the slopes, I noticed I did not have my brother Derek's perfection and steadiness nor did I have the bold brave way of my sister Dana. I simply made my own clumsy way, I skied alone mostly and slowly by myself I learned on the same trails over and over again. My mom would worried saying "Debby you need to have a skiing friend or buddy, I don't like knowing you are out there skiing all alone." I snorted my reply "Don't worry I just stay on the beginner green slopes." I found most ski buddies to be either way to fast or really really slow. I didn't mind being alone all the time in fact I enjoyed doing my own thing, taking my own thoughts out into the snow.
When I was 16 years old I counted 13 trips with out a brake one clear warm night. I was so proud of myself because that was when skiing finally clicked with me. I went from moving with caution to being one with creation. I glided over the white fresh snow without a jacket on, without my gloves or hat. Though no one was around to see me, I moved with the same slope at the same speed. I was amazed that I wasn't so afraid. I really felt like I could do that forever, in such perfect weather. I loved the feeling of flying side to side having taken 13 trips without falling, crashing or getting stuck in a tree. With such crisp clear air, the hanging shadows of the pine trees seemed to be there cheering me on. I felt with every trip down I was getting better and better. On the ski lift rides up I felt the same excitement as the first try. From up in the air I would look down at that one slope that seemed frozen in time. I would think to myself how important it was to count these trips, to remember this night forever. The guy at the lift said to me as I slide into place waiting for the arriving chair "You are back again?" I smiled up at him "YUP I am on a winning streak!" He chuckled as he held my chair for second before I bounced out into the starry sky.
"DEBBY!" the sisters of family friends had called out across the front of the lodge to me. I was heading up to my favorite ski lift that took me to my safe calm slopes. I stopped in surprised by the sudden call of my name, the girls looked alarmed. So I waited holding my skis over my shoulder while pushing up my goggles to see them directly."Oh Debby maybe you can help us!" Melinda grabbed my arm and I looked back and forth from her sister Miriam to her again, I replied "Really?" I was honestly surprised that they took any notice of me at all. Though we had been friends years ago when we were much younger, I soon realized I didn't want to grow up as fast as they had. It also didn't help that my mother was constantly asking me why couldn't I be more like them. So naturally I avoided them just as equally as they avoided me. Now having them suddenly asking me for help, was odd. Mariam explained "Mom invited a guy to go skiing with us today, but he doesn't know how." I noticed the look she passed to her sister, I had to chuckled. Melinda was still holding my arm as I stood there watching this new guy talk to their mother. "Do you know what is a safe slope or trail he could ski on for awhile?" Melinda looked like she honestly didn't know. I couldn't help but laugh out loud now as I thought to myself "Of course you wouldn't know that." I looked at the whole situation very oddly, I wasn't sure what was going on. So I just named off all my favorite simple slopes while watching the whole group shift uncomfortably. Miriam was the first to speak up "Debby could you take him and show him?" Her sister Melinda joined in "Oh what a great idea! You could help teach him to ski!" I felt instantly alarmed as I looked back at this man in his red snow jacket. I asked myself if my parents would think it appropriate for me to have a Male ski buddy. "Oh please please please Debby." Miriam was now half hugging me, I shrugged. "Sure, no problem."
I nodded at the man that was going to join me for the rest of the afternoon on the slope. It was amazing how fast everyone else was gone once Henry and I reached the second chair lift. "So where have you skied before?" I asked him as we waited in line. "This is my first day." He replied and I stared at him with my mouth dropping open. "WHAT? this is your very first day ever skiing?" Henry looked at me uncertain "Yeah." I exploded "That is CRAZY! it is your very first day skiing and you are off with the Olympic family trying not to die on a black diamond! You must be in love with one of the sisters...why else would you be this crazy?!" I patted his arm laughing. I broke down step by step to getting on and off the ski lift, then I asked him how did he not brake his neck skiing with such advanced people. "I have been skiing now for 3 years and I accidentally followed Miriam one afternoon only to crash and loose my ski for half an hour in the snow bank! How did you keep up with them never having once skied before!?" He sat riding up the ski lift with me nodding his head "I was terrified." He was a calm quiet man so I couldn't help but laugh even more. "So how do you know Melinda and Miriam?" he asked me as I nodded back at him with a understanding grin. "So which one do you like?" I asked but didn't wait for an answer "Guys are always interested in the girls, but you must be very well liked to have their mother invite you up here." I smiled encouragingly to him. "She really has very high standards for her daughters, so you must be a nice guy if she likes you." I kept on talking while Henry was chuckling. The fact that I had someone to talk to was a huge moment for me on the ski lift. The whole afternoon was actually not as awkward as I had first worried. I helped him learn to stop, taught him to lean into the mountain and to avoid all trees. For each time he fell I had an encouraging story of my own crashes, I kept thinking of how I would feel if I liked a guy who skied better then me and I wanted to keep up. I knew all the advice I could give him would hopefully keep him safe out there. "Do you know if Miriam has a boyfriend?" he asked me on another ski lift ride I thought for a second "I do not know...For her Mom says they aren't dating, they are doing the old fashion courting instead." Henry looked confused as he asked "How does that work?" So I explained it all to him then added "My Mom says Miriam is boy crazy but I don't see that." Henry laughed again. I continued "I mean she has guys who are friends, but I don't think that makes her crazy." Another laugh but I kept right on chatting. It dawned on me that I should be careful how honestly I talked for I had a way of getting myself in trouble almost instantly with my endless chatter. "My Mom thinks I should be courted too." Henry looked at me in surprise "How old are you?" I replied proudly "16." He titled his head to look at me again "No really? Sweet 16 and never been kissed?" I was alarmed by the word "kissed" so I pulled to the side of the ski lift chair while asking "WHAT?" He chuckled "Haven't you heard of that? it's a saying for when you turn 16." I frowned "No I haven't ever heard that! though kissing is one of those things you should stay away from." I declared while Henry laughed all over again. I was able to change the topic quickly but I thought about that saying for along time afterwords. I wondered why I had never heard it before.
I nodded at the man that was going to join me for the rest of the afternoon on the slope. It was amazing how fast everyone else was gone once Henry and I reached the second chair lift. "So where have you skied before?" I asked him as we waited in line. "This is my first day." He replied and I stared at him with my mouth dropping open. "WHAT? this is your very first day ever skiing?" Henry looked at me uncertain "Yeah." I exploded "That is CRAZY! it is your very first day skiing and you are off with the Olympic family trying not to die on a black diamond! You must be in love with one of the sisters...why else would you be this crazy?!" I patted his arm laughing. I broke down step by step to getting on and off the ski lift, then I asked him how did he not brake his neck skiing with such advanced people. "I have been skiing now for 3 years and I accidentally followed Miriam one afternoon only to crash and loose my ski for half an hour in the snow bank! How did you keep up with them never having once skied before!?" He sat riding up the ski lift with me nodding his head "I was terrified." He was a calm quiet man so I couldn't help but laugh even more. "So how do you know Melinda and Miriam?" he asked me as I nodded back at him with a understanding grin. "So which one do you like?" I asked but didn't wait for an answer "Guys are always interested in the girls, but you must be very well liked to have their mother invite you up here." I smiled encouragingly to him. "She really has very high standards for her daughters, so you must be a nice guy if she likes you." I kept on talking while Henry was chuckling. The fact that I had someone to talk to was a huge moment for me on the ski lift. The whole afternoon was actually not as awkward as I had first worried. I helped him learn to stop, taught him to lean into the mountain and to avoid all trees. For each time he fell I had an encouraging story of my own crashes, I kept thinking of how I would feel if I liked a guy who skied better then me and I wanted to keep up. I knew all the advice I could give him would hopefully keep him safe out there. "Do you know if Miriam has a boyfriend?" he asked me on another ski lift ride I thought for a second "I do not know...For her Mom says they aren't dating, they are doing the old fashion courting instead." Henry looked confused as he asked "How does that work?" So I explained it all to him then added "My Mom says Miriam is boy crazy but I don't see that." Henry laughed again. I continued "I mean she has guys who are friends, but I don't think that makes her crazy." Another laugh but I kept right on chatting. It dawned on me that I should be careful how honestly I talked for I had a way of getting myself in trouble almost instantly with my endless chatter. "My Mom thinks I should be courted too." Henry looked at me in surprise "How old are you?" I replied proudly "16." He titled his head to look at me again "No really? Sweet 16 and never been kissed?" I was alarmed by the word "kissed" so I pulled to the side of the ski lift chair while asking "WHAT?" He chuckled "Haven't you heard of that? it's a saying for when you turn 16." I frowned "No I haven't ever heard that! though kissing is one of those things you should stay away from." I declared while Henry laughed all over again. I was able to change the topic quickly but I thought about that saying for along time afterwords. I wondered why I had never heard it before.
That Sunday night Henry's family had invited my family out for pizza after evening service. It was a Thank you for helping Henry learn to ski. Henry told everyone at the dinner table that he hadn't remembered laughing so much while I was teaching him. I was glad to have made a new friend, it had surprised me while skiing with him that I learned we went to the same church. The pizza night was fun in getting to know them more, though my father freaked out instantly when mom told us all about the invite. I had to calm everyone down and reassure them it was nothing but a thank you, a kind act of new friends. Mom seemed thrilled as she explained it was my real first courtship outing. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, while Dad's eyes grew wide with alarm "How old is this guy? why do we have to meet his family suddenly?" My sister Dana spatted out "He is super old! like maybe 30!" Then Dad shot out of his chair "WHAT!?" Dana laughed while dancing around me. I stood there among everyone just shaking my head. I was able to state my opinion and explain "I helped him learn to ski, we are now just friends. It is nothing, please calm down." Dad followed me to my bedroom saying "If you are not comfortable with this, we will cancel." I was surprised for a moment looking at my Dad who seemed soft and approachable suddenly. I giggled back at Dad's worried face "It's no big deal, really."
So after the pizza dinner when I felt completely calm and happy in making new friends, I walked to the car only to have my father put his arm around me saying "You were very mature, very thoughtful in how you visited with everyone tonight." I had wondered why my father was watching me so closely from across the table as Henry's sweet mother and I became friends. I sat in the back seat of the car on the drive home that night thinking about what does it mean to be Sweet 16.
I kept driving on down the dark country road mumbling back "Wish life was as easy to figure out as just another Ski lesson!" Joanie laughed.
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