Injury-induced Musings and Internal Reflections

May 30, 2014 Posted by Josh in Thoughts

Injury-induced Musings and Internal Reflections

There’s nothing like a debilitating injury to lead one’s consciousness within. Spawning sudden cases of the woulda-coulda-shouldas as the internal brainwave chatter grows louder. Quieting the mind seems near impossible while thinking about lost and misused opportunities both past and future. Such is the challenge I’m faced with once again as I stare longingly at my booted foot while my fractured talus travels is slow mending path.

This certainly isn’t my first rodeo with injury. If there’s one thing I’ve become an expert at, it’s emergency rooms and x-rays. My attempt to build travel funds last winter was cut short in January with a torn ACL and meniscus, leading to surgery and a year of intensive rehabilitation. Feeling mostly rehabbed at this point, my season is cut short yet again by injury. At least this time around I’m only losing a month.

So here’s the crazy thing: I’ve spent my winter skiing “no fall zones” where a fall would lead to certain death. I’ve spun 360s off of 40 foot cliffs, skied at freeway speeds down steep mountain chutes, and performed many more death-defying feats. Yet, none of these activities dealt the injurious blow. What was it, you ask? Pole dancing. Yep (well, to be more politically correct... doing pole sport). We had a fun party with friends which incorporated playing on Meisha’s sport pole, which she uses for pole fitness. Well… towards the end of the night, I decided to try a flip of sorts on the pole, lost my grip and smacked my heel on the ground.

That was it. Ski season: over.

The point to writing about this little incident? Perhaps a bit of self-therapy more than anything. That being said, my word advice to you, dear reader is this:

All things are temporary.

Enjoy the moment while it lasts, good or bad. There’s nothing like truly living in the present moment to make us feel alive. This ski season, I feel I’ve pushed many of my personal boundaries, yet there is so much more I coulda-woulda-shoulda done. Sometimes we all need reminders that every second really can be an adventure. For now, this is mine.

Reawakening the Inner Nerd at Salt Lake Comic Con Fan X Climbing and Skiing Solitude's Fantasy Ridge