Skiing in Maggie Valley NC.
We (Rockwell, Hannah and I.. Melinda did not want to go for some reason) went skiing this weekend to Maggie Valley and the cataloochee ski area Actually.. snowboarding. We all learned to snowboard. It was AWESOME. I can say that I actually got it down enough to go down one of the black diamonds. I’m not good, but I clearly was not the worst. Hannah made it down once without ever falling… even if 25% of it was braking. (what I call the board being perpendicular to the slope.. I don’t know the lingo’..) We really had fun. We went with youth from Holy Trinity Lutheran to “Lake Junaluska”. 13 of us total, 11 kids and two chaperons. The kids were.. different. More on that later.
I think Rockwell had the most fun of anyone. He did not want to leave. He was the first on the slopes, wouldn’t take a break, and was the very last person to leave of all the kids. And even then he was not happy that he had to stop. He said “I think I want to do this professionally!” and that is before he even really knows how to rock it. We will clearly be back to do it again. This time with Melinda. 🙂
I would have more pictures and even video… if I had not lost my phone. 🙁 That was the only bummer of the trip.
I have two observations:
1.
Ok, so about these kids.
“When I was young…” Social status was primary. I remember getting into a group like this, and all the kids wanted to know was who was boss, and what the pecking order was. Really, when I look back on it, our lives were ruled by this dynamic. Even as you got older.. jobs were available because you knew someone… or not available because you did not.
These kids? They really could not care less. The older ones hung out with the younger ones, Some of them just hung out or didn’t, depending on a mood. It was really pretty amazing. On the trip there, during the trip, and on the trip home, I feel like they were LESS of a burden than 13 Adults would have been, and I’m not kidding about that. They were nothing but prompt, polite, and self sufficient. (as long as there was food available.. lol) They said, we would like to walk to the church” when it was church time, and they were back in the meeting place when the skiing was over. (OK, they were worn out and there before they were even supposed to be.. 🙂 ) Get this.. It was a 250 mile trip there, and a 250 mile trip home… 13 people in the van. You know how many times we stopped? twice. And when I say twice… I mean once each way. I was driving. You know who asked to stop? No one.. I had to stop to pee.
Were their noses in their phones? Of course. And I don’t care.
These kids are going to make SOOO MUCH better adults than we EVER were its not even funny.
Good on you kids. The future is going to be awesome. and you are going to make it that way.
2.
People are SO MUCH more honest these days, so much more, that its making commerce easier, and cheaper for all of us.
Do you remember back 30 years ago going skiing? The paperwork you had to fill out to rent skis, then when you returned them they had to cross check and make sure you were returning the right ones and they loved charging you late fees and such? Those days are LONG GONE. We rented skis, and they simply wanted your liability form. they handed you the skis, (or board) and boots, adjusted them slightly, and you were on your way. When you returned them? “Put them in the stack over there and have a good day.” No accounting whatsoever. I think they realized that 99% of people return them, and the cost of saving a percent did not make it worth the time lost to account for it, or the customers lost to hassle. same thing with the rental trailer we used for bags, the guy did not even open it up to see if it was clean. he met me at the gate in the van, had a handheld, punched in the code on the trailer, and said, “any problems?” I said no, he as 60$ you want to put it on the card on record? I said yes, he handed me a receipt, and I was out of there in 5 minutes. Astounding really. 30 years ago they would have had to have had a checklist of damage and inspected the inside and it just would not have gone that smooth. people are better people today than they were before. simple as that.
