A few weeks ago my dear wife, the pastor, preached a sermon on the topic of Defining Moments. This particular sermon has stuck with me and keeps coming into my mind since I have realized that I have had so many defining moments in my life. And as I reflect on those defining moments, I am struck by how those moments have ultimately had a huge impact on my life's direction.
If one is a student of the bible, you know that biblical characters frequently were involved in defining moments which called for a response to God's call or some other important call to action. In the secular world, of course, there are many defining moments that have a huge impact on our future success, health and relationships.
Relative to the geezer skiing world, there are certainly a series of defining moments as one's ski experience continues from beginning to end. For me as child I was gifted with a pair of wooden hickory skis one Christmas. That introduced me to the idea that I could ride down a hill-- at least straight down-- with a new found skill. The primitive skis gave me little control for turning since my winter galoshes were attached to the skis by simple leather straps.
Fast forward 25 years or so for another defining moment when a sister-in-law at the time introduced me and my family to the more modern version of alpine skiing. Leather boots, cable bindings and still wooden skis with metal edges were the better gear. The learning curve was on and there were some ski-defining moments as I learned to make turns and control my skis. Oh, the delight of parallel turns and eventually being able to make some progress in skiing the moguls.
As life progresses, interruptions will occur and I was destined to abandon frequent skiing for a number of years as other priorities took over. I was at the peak of my professional career, and also I was involved in raising a child who was born when I was the fifty years old. There are too many wonderful defining moments that led up to this change to mention here!
Upon retirement in 1996, a very significant moment followed. Surviving kidney cancer opened the door for taking up my passion for skiing again! And so it is in 2024, I am looking forward to another season on the slopes. In the interim, leading to this time, I have averaged over 70 days a season on the slopes. In that 28 year period there have been many life and sport activities that have had an array of defining moments. Some good and some not so good! Ah, for such is true of life's journey. Unfortunately more recently, near the end of the season this year I had an incident similar to a minor stroke that put me out of commission for a while and serves as a warning that life-changing moments can happen unexpectedly. However, I am optimistic about the coming season and have already purchased my season pass.
In conclusion, I am reflecting on the defining moment for some of my senior geezer friends that has caused them to exit from the slopes. Managing a graceful exit is not easy. I admire how my friends have accepted their fate. I hope I will have the same grace when my time may come some day, hopefully in my mid-nineties when it is time to recognize my passion for skiing has to be set aside.
Beyond skiing, I would say that how well we handle elements of change is a mark of our integrity and the quality of our character. One would hope as we exit this earthly existence we leave with our dignity and integrity intact where the next generation will remember us with fondness and appreciation. Be well everyone and embrace your defining moments of the past the ones to come.
A Note by Nancy: In conversation, Gerry and I talked about how skiing is a good metaphor for life. It involves learning to master a skill, which also requires patience and perseverance. It provides a community of folks to socialize with. Skiing brings challenges, surprises, disappointments, injury. Eventually, one's energy and abilities wane. And just like life---it inevitably has a beginning, a middle, and an end!
