Feeling 25 Again

"Hit it!" I yell and then wait for the familiar tug.

OK, lean back a little and keep pressure on your back foot. ONE. TWO. THREE. UP!

Be patient, I tell myself. Let the boat get on plane before you motion for a speed change. Ah, there, that's more like it.

Wow, this is awesome! I haven't skied in 3 years. Oh how I've missed it. I've missed feeling the water brush across my ankle as I make a hard cut. I miss feeling the pull of the rope and the boat.

A breeze blows across the water making it a little choppier than I would like, but it feels so good to be skiing that I hardly care. I venture outside the wake and prepare for my first cut. The first one is a little tentative as I get used to being up behind our friend's boat. Back inside the wake, I scope the water to see if one side looks better than the other.

I cut to the right because the water looks a little flatter on that side. I pull hard to right and go out wide. Then I lean back, put pressure on my back foot, and imagine the rooster tail I'm pushing up behind me. This cut was definitely better than the first one, even if I do stand up just before cutting back into the wake. I've always been a bit of a chicken crossing the wake.

Back and forth I go. Smiling. Taking inventory of how everything is feeling. I'm loving this! Just like I'm 25 again, skiing without a worry in the world. I'm so grateful for friends who invite us to play.

Well, all good things must come to an end so let's end this on my terms before I get too tired and have some awesome crash that will remind me I'm not 25; crashes at 42 will probably hurt more. I signal "cut", release the rope, and glide to a nice, easy landing.