On Friday night a few of us took in the new Warren Miller ski movie, "DYNASTY". And when I say, "us", I mean four of us guys that get together a couple times a year and camp out in the mountains. Nothing special, except for the fact that it all started out as some kind of therapy for our souls. Now it is just an important part of our balance in this hectic, teeter-totter life.
As usual, the flick blew us out of the water. Crazy huge ski-lines down knife edge peaks, unbelievable locations, and riders pushing the limits as we know them today. Lights are on, crowd clears the Jube, and we are talking about it all the way to the car. Of course it starts unconciously, "man, I wish I was doing that stuff", "Gee I wished I got out more". and on it builds, until you get so frustrated that you forget about all of the cool things you HAVE actually done.
Which brings me to the question? What haven't you done? What is it that you still think you have to do? Is your family still holding you back? Are your kids really 6 feet of chain anchor?
Or is it just something you will do when the dust from your young marriage and even younger family settles?
Then again, maybe it is just you. Maybe you'll do it tomorrow, maybe just dream about it for a little while longer. Maybe it simply comes down to this, that the true difference between those guys on the screen and you.....is that they are doing it and your not. Really, they are ordinary people just like you, except that they have chosen to lead an extrordinary life. They have kids and bills and stress just like any of us, it is just important to them that they live while they are alive. If your living your life, then you are LIVING. If your regretting your life, then your DYIN', and very slowly I might add.
I don't regret not climbing or being in the mountains as much as I think I should have been in the past. That is because I am doing it now, and tomorrow.
