EDITOR’S NOTE- Occasionally you have to abandon the script and let the winds of opportunity blow you where they may. Such is the case for today’s piece which I found in my inbox after Adam Loomis’ great story yesterday, Walter has a long history with and strong passion for Nordic. Enjoy!
WALTER MALMQUIST
Ford Sayre, Holderness, Dartmouth Outing Club
wmalmquist@kingcon.com
Adam Loomis’ story… GREAT! A lot of great lessons in this one…
1) Never give up… keep your chin up while keeping your head (and chest and shoulders) down to the grindstone;
2) Things don’t always work out as planned or expected… adjust and move forward… but wait for your ski bag before taking off from the airport;
3) Asking favors can be the first/easiest step toward making friends (that’s an old Vermont saying my wise Grandfather shared with me when I was a tot… “Want a friend, ask him/her a favor.”);
4) True friends (and your coach) have your “Six”… and extra poles;
5) Necessity is the Mother of Invention/Innovation/
6) Never pack necessary daily meds (e.g. insulin) in your ski bag!
… the list goes on…
Perhaps our country’s leaders make gain a few “take aways” from Adam’s story too… sharing resources and establishing productive relationships from perhaps unexpected corners usually reduces risks and increases productivity… isolation and reticence to reach out might not be good tactics, let alone the best… the culture of the Nordic Combined and Special Jumping community should be exemplary to other communities, domestic and international.
You never know where gems such as the ones Adam mined might be found… troubles become treasures. I look forward to reading more stories from him and other jumpers.
Again… thanks and compliments to your authors,
Walter
Walter today (ish).
Walter in 1978 (ish).
