Mood Swings:
Never say no
By
Muna Hamzeh
One of the best things about attending college in the United States is the endless variety of sports activities offered to students who are athletically inclined. Name the sport you like, and your college campus is likely to have it.
Although initially eager to join different teams and engage in various individual sports, I quickly discovered that the American attitude towards athletics was slightly too serious and competitive for my taste. I was kicked off the varsity basketball team weeks after joining because I was constantly goofing off and breaking the rules. I didn't last long on the soccer or baseball teams for the same reason.
But I didn't give up easily. I was constantly eager to try anything athletic and would never say no when asked if I had played a given type of sport before, even if it meant that I would end up with a sprained ankle, torn ligaments or dislocated shoulder. So long as I could say that I had tried something, no price was too high and no pain was too much.
When a friend one day asked if I could bike, I did not admit that riding a tricycle as a child was the closest I had come to cycling. So off we went one morning on what I thought would be a pleasant ride on 10-speed bikes. How I managed to race after him in the middle of a busy city street is still beyond me. But in my eagerness to keep up with the guy, I did not turn with the road when I should have. Instead I went flying in the air, off a cliff and down by a river bank. The bike was totaled and a nasty deep wound has since left a permanent scar on my left knee.
Unhindered by my injury, I plunged ahead. I went roller-skating with friends after assuring them I had been on skates several times before. The fact that I went crashing into the ring railing several times did not dampen my spirits. The bruises on my arms and legs were a source of idiotic pride.
But of all my athletic adventures, nothing topped my memorable ski trip in the Washington Cascade Mountains. I happened to overhear some classmates plan a trip to a ski resort for a long weekend. "I want to go with you," I said. "Have you been skiing before?" they asked. You know what my answer was. So off we went one Friday afternoon and I was beside myself with excitement. Once at the ski resort, I spotted some kids as young as seven out on the slopes. I figured if they could do it, then so could I.
Not wanting to let on that I had never been on skis before, I decided to improvise. My classmates picked their ski suits, and so did I. They tried on ski boots for size, and so did I. They snapped on their skis, and so did I. They walked outdoors on their skis, I stumbled and fell several times, but managed to follow them.
Everyone hopped on the ski lift. I hopped on the next one. At the top of the ski slope, everyone jumped off the lift. I didn't realise I was supposed to do that. "Jump off," my friends shouted. I did, but I jumped too late. The edge of the lift banged me on the head and I went face down in the snow. My skis kept crossing and I struggled to get up, but in the end I was on my feet with a big grin on my face.
I looked down the slope and the scene was beautifully enticing. Skiers of all ages were gliding on the snow as if they were gliding on clouds. "Piece of cake," I thought with a smile.
"Remember to dig your ski poles in the snow and twist sideways whenever you want to stop," one of the uniformed resort employees told me as I prepared to hit the slopes.
Knowing absolutely nothing about skiing, I had no clue that you would pick up speed (OK, lots and lots of speed) once you start your descent down the slope. Starting to panic, I dug my poles in the snow and twisted sideways. Nothing happened. I tried again. Nothing happened. I was still going faster than I cared to.
I was in trouble and I knew it. I quickly threw my poles away, sat on my bottom, lifted my feet up in the air and went rushing down the slope while screaming at the top of my lungs. I didn't stop screaming until I hit the bushes at the bottom.
No one spoke to me the rest of the day. My classmates pretended I didn't exist. The fact that I had hurt my shoulder pretty bad did not get me any mercy. But I was a reckless college kid who never said no. But hey, now when someone asks me, I can at least say that I have been downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, rowing, roller-skating, surfing, rock diving and much more. Would I have done any of that if I had said no?
