Chipping the ice away from the back step, I thought to myself that in order to take steps you have to first see the steps. We in Kelowna’s North end are all clearing the way for ourselves to engage in a normal work a day world.
We have not had the snow plow down in our neck of the woods after each snow fall. Frequently the ice underlying the snow layers is treacherous. Greasy brown snow up to the hub caps presents the surface experience.
It is all in the technique. Some drive achingly slowly trying to adjust to the rush of adrenaline that comes when their tires find the grooves in the road that were created on a warmer day when we ventured out through deep snow. Evening freezing left trenches which lie beneath the surface. Others seems to believe that all obstacles should be met with bravado. Swinging out around the corners, they tear into the gas pedal to fly over obstacles. There are fragments of fenders by some of the stop signs in Knox Mountain village.
Ten more centimeters is predicated to fall in the next two days. I am going to be out of the shoveling game for a while because I managed to fracture the knuckle on one of my fingers from the weight of the snow.
Why are we like Stars on Ice? Because we need technique and we need awareness of conditions. The shoveling and dragging our legs through snow drifts has done much to condition the body. I put on my winter pants yesterday and the crotch was down between my knees. Now if I just pull my underwear up and tuck my shirt into it, I will be rad or cool or whatever it is the diaper wearing teenaged cohort calls it.
Also, there is an element of performance anxiety as we get into our vehicles. Will we be smoothly sailing off across the ice, or….
In life and when you are a star on ice, it is good to remember that one must first see the steps before one can take them. I have cleared the back steps. Now I can take out the garbage and recycling. Keeping the house peaceful is now easier.
Tuesday, we will take my art up to Gallery Vertigo in Vernon to hang on the members wall and in March I will put work up in the Mission library. http://www.galleryvertigo.com
January will be a wonderful time of teaching classes and showing others how much fun exploring the world of creativity is. http://web.ubc.ca/okanagan/continuingstudies/welcome.html
It is not nearly as challenging as skating on ice.