I am one of those people who is perfectly comfortable doing things by myself. I don’t need the company of others to legitimize my existence. Life offers plenty of adventures for those who are willing to go at it alone.
Golf is one of those activities I don’t mind doing by myself. In fact, I sometimes prefer to walk the course alone, while discussing the strategy for my next shot. Fall mornings are the best time in my opinion. The air is cool, and the bugs have given up for the season.
Flying an airplane is a nice solitary activity. Just you, the machine and the wide-open horizon expanding out before you. Unfortunately, it is also conducive to hearing sounds that really are not there. A stutter in the engine, a rattle from the rear of the cabin, the sound of demons in your head.
But today, I went snowboarding all by myself. Long ago, I used to ski, and often went alone because no one else I knew did. Now, my kids are snowboarders, and I do know several people who ski. But today I was on my own.
I spent the first couple of hours riding up and boarding down, content with the sound of plastic on snow, and the sound of the wind rushing past my helmet. Then it occurred to me, I have an iPhone and ear buds in my bag, why not rock out while carving the slopes.
I grabbed my earbuds during my first break, plugged them in my ears, and set the volume. It was all I could do to sit still as I rode up the chair lift. Snowboarding with hard rock and heavy metal thumping in your ears is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
As my carving continued to improve, and a selection of many of my favorite tunes kept out the sounds of others, my smile broadened. No longer was I riding down the steeper hills sideways, I was cutting my way back and forth. All the while deciding that what I was doing was easily the most fun a person could have solo.
When I finally talked myself into breaking for lunch, I felt like a real snowboarder. I carved my way down a hill and came to a controlled stop not far from other skiers. This time, no one looked like they wanted to bail out of the way.
I was in control!
Not everything should have a soundtrack, but snowboarding is way better with one.
Today was a great day!
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