Hick at Heart...and in Real Life

Tuesday marked the day as my second Craigslist Rideshare adventure, and once again I was not to be disappointed.

His ad offered a ride to the mountain; two if the second person could fit into a space only big enough to accommodate an "anorexic midget."

A little less optimistic this time around; I thought J sounded nice, but not necessarily....the snowboarding type. He described his on hill performance in the terms of "falling on my face a lot." He also didn't really direct the conversation, which is something I look for in a potential companion. Don't get me wrong, I guess I'm not really looking for a director as much as I'm looking for a suggestor, or maybe someone with an opinion?

He ended up being one of the strong silent types. And he did fall on his face......a lot. We ended up leaving a little early because he thought he may have broken his collar bone. No, he wasn't one faint of heart. He was an ex-soldier who recently retired from the military and was trying to pick up snowboarding. I saw a glimpse of myself in him. We both don't give ourselves enough time and charge ahead when we aren't really prepared, or experienced.

I tried to warn him: quality is more important than quantity, or at least speed. Poor guy never had a chance. "Try to put some power behind your carves," I told him. "Your carves are somewhat noncommittal." He was somewhat offended, I think. Or too macho to accept my advice.

The sad part was he seemed to be afraid to show his true self. I noticed small things like his smoking habit and music preference. He tried to hide his puffs and felt he had to excuse his love of country. Smoke as many Marlboro's as you want, and I don't care if you know every word to every country song ever written. Sing away. Please, don't be afraid of my lowly opinion.

A hick at heart is a hick at heart......and no reason exists to be ashamed.