Make Believe

 

The highlight of my social calendar in the last few days was an Alpine Evening organised outside the gym where four large tepees were installed on the lawn, complete with a gondola carriage for photographs. Mulled wine was available on tap, whilst raclette and bratwurst were served to eat. By chance, the temperature had plummeted to below freezing and we were even treated to a flurry of snow from the sky above. 

Like most events, it was of course the company of others present who really made it a success, although recognising some people in their winter coats and hats rather than lycra was a challenge in itself! Many of us suffered a healthy dose of nostalgia reminiscing about skiing trips past but not present. Concerned about weak knee and hip joints or maybe brittle bones, it really was the closest most are ever going to get to après ski going forward in retirement.

Of course, I realised as long ago as 2013 that skiing wouldn't dominate our retirement planning and although we skied in three areas of Switzerland in 2016 (which is where the photo at the top of this post came from), we now fondly refer to that as Our Farewell Tour. At the time, however, I wasn't entirely sure that would really be our final ski trip. Never say never and all that, not to mention an element of delusion and make believe. 

It could be further proof that with age comes wisdom or alternatively that sixth sense of self-preservation, either way meaning that I haven't found myself back on piste. No matter how old we get, however, make believe never goes away, does it? Those idle dreams and what ifs, not to mention the ability to pretend, even on a freezing cold evening in a tent in suburbia.