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THE SLOPES — In this state, many people will tell you that "skiing is life."
But what is life for some is, for others, a horrifying hurtle down an icy slope at an unmanageable speed with obstacles that you may or may not be able to avoid.
Welcome to this forced metaphor.
Often the first "bunny slopes" of life teach us things, but the risk is small and the falls aren't hard. As the hills get bigger and bigger, the risks become greater, and you may or may not have had the time or means to acquire the tools and skills to deal with those black diamond slopes.
When this happens, no matter what size the hill, life can become a downward rush with scenery whipping past as you try as hard as you can to just keep your balance without face-planting in the snow.
The metaphor may be forced, but I know that many of you are trying not to face-plant in life this very second.
To see this metaphor in action, all you have to do is watch a short video with a small skier caught on camera sliding down a ski slope in a straight line with a vocal response that could very well be our own voices in our own heads.
Whether life imitates skiing or skiing imitates life is now up for debate.