I once chaperoned my daughter’s class on a field trip to an ice rink. Even though my daughter told me that what I did on the ice could not be called skating, I laced up my skates, went out, and tried. When I came off for a break, another mother stopped me. I don’t remember exactly how she worded it, but her point was that my skating was so bad, the kids were encouraged to try. I believe she meant it as a compliment.
I have tried a lot of things in my life. The first time I ever roller skated, one of the wheels fell off, and I experienced being towed back off the rink by my cousins. Thanks to high school PE, I got to try fencing, ping pong, badminton, tennis, flag football, basketball, softball, etc. God bless PE teachers. It could not have been easy having a student as unathletic as me. Although, I was decent at fencing. It was my opportunity to get back at all the people who chose me last for every team in every sport.
All this trying taught me quite a bit. If I hadn’t tried water skiing, I wouldn’t know the feeling of being drug through a river, briefly standing up on the skis, and face planting back into the water. If I hadn’t tried boogie boarding, I wouldn’t know that swimming in the ocean is not for me because the salt water blinds me to the point where I have to be led by the hand back to shore. If I had never gone kayaking, I wouldn’t know how to maneuver out of a patch of reeds in the lake after getting stuck (I had help from my sisters on that one).
I don’t have the strength to pull back a bow to shoot an arrow far enough to miss the target. Without having tried archery, rock climbing or going up a tow rope, I might not have realized that I have no real upper body strength. Thank goodness for ski lifts. Once at the top of a run, I was able to pigeon-toe snowplow down. My lower body strength isn’t bad. I can do some easy hikes, and I have ridden a tandem bicycle. It was the only way I could keep up with my husband.
I’m glad I tried so many things. Because I tried, I have floated in the Kankakee and the Pacific. I have been to the top of Wilmot “mountain” in Wisconsin, and in the mountains of Colorado. I have hiked in Arizona, Utah, and Oregon. These are all opportunities that many people never have. I bonded with family and friends. Whenever I fell, I literally connected with God’s creation. Besides, who knows how many children I have inspired?