Danger is no longer my thing

I don’t do dangerous anymore.

Not that I was ever much of a daredevil, but I certainly engaged in a number of activities over the years that could have caused serious bodily harm.

Luck, for the most part, was on my side.

It’s been years now since I even broke a bone.

I’m more cautious now, content to rest on my laurels, and watch others take chances.

Like my wife.

Barb was always very active, but since we moved away from the mountains, her outdoor recreation has pretty much been limited to boating and fishing. Her snowboard has been gathering dust for years.

Then we bought a cabin on a hill at Fort Peck Lake and she couldn’t stop talking about someday riding her powder board down the slope.

I was anything but enthusiastic about her plans, reminding her over and over again that she’s not as young as she used to be, that it’s been years since she was on the board, and that there’s really not much snow at the lake.

Remarkably, she paid no heed to my advice.

When we decided to visit the cabin last week, Barb loaded her board and boots in the truck, announcing that today was the day. She had recently celebrated her 69th birthday, and perhaps felt she had something to prove.

There was more snow at the lake than I’d expected so I nervously shoveled off the deck while Barb readied for her ride.

I’d been a bit relieved to see one of our neighbors at his cabin when we arrived. I figured he could help me load Barb into the truck after she crashed.

Finally buckled in, Barb yelled that she was ready.

I put down my scoop shovel to watch my amazing wife carve turns through the wind-packed snow all the way down to the frozen lake.

She didn’t crash.

She didn’t fall.

She just whooped and hollered a bit.

The dogs ran to meet her while I returned to my shoveling.

Then she called out: “Come get my board.”

I couldn’t say no.

I’d been the buzz-kill in this whole affair, always preaching caution instead of fun. I’d been telling her for years to sell the board.

But she obviously wasn’t done with it.

She still isn’t.

So I trudged down the hill and packed her board back up to the cabin.

Not doing so would have been dangerous and I don’t do that anymore.

Parker Heinlein is at

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