Mike meet Mike from Grand Rapids

I am drawn to older people. I love their ability to conversant, and the stories they hold but may not talk about often. They are usually the most interesting people in the room, but in our culture which celebrates youth, these elders are not sought out for their observations and wisdom.  

My wife is so fortunate to still have her 95-year-old grandmother around. What Lee lacks in mobility, hearing and eyesight, she makes up for in spades with her sharp mind and sense of humor.

I recently took advantage of some major snowfall in Northern Michigan and hit the slopes at Crystal Mountain. While taking a break from trying not to die on my snowboard, I went to the lounge area to grab a quick snack.  It was a weekend; not my usual choice because it tends to be more crowded, and sure enough, the place was packed due to the fresh powder.  I sat down at a table by myself and shortly thereafter, to my great delight, a distinguished gentleman asked if he could sit with me.  Usually, I’m the one approaching the lone stranger asking to share their table, so this was a welcome departure.  I’m pretty good at remembering names, but this one was easy: Mike meet Mike from Grand Rapids!

I’m always curious about age when I see an older person engaging in rigorous physical activity.  I didn’t feel I could come right out and ask Mike how old he was, the longer we chatted, he said he was headed to Manhattan soon for his 65th high school reunion.  Some quick mental math put him at 83 years old!  I mentioned to Mike that I sometimes feel like the oldest snowboarder out there.  He asked how old I was and said, “Not even close!  I’m here because Crystal Mountain allows anyone over 80 to ski for free”.  

He then went on to tell me that back in the day, there was a policy that allowed anyone over the age of 70 to ski for free, but that there were so many participants during the week that the resort wasn’t making any money, so the age for free entry was increased to 80.  I asked him why he didn’t ski someplace closer to Grand Rapids, and he said there wasn’t enough elevation for him…um…ok, Mike.  Gotta love Michiganders. The state motto should be Get Outside or Die!

As I was admiring this guy and his energy, when most older adults are concerned with not falling or preparing to have some sort of necessary surgical procedure, he said something that will stay with me; “it’s harder to hit a moving target”.  I assume he meant that death is harder to find you when you are moving. As we were both preparing to get back on the mountain, I asked for Mike’s number, which he was happy to share. I told him I would reach out sometime when I’m passing through Grand Rapids. He said please do.

Mike turned back to me as he was walking away and said, “Keep boarding”.  I absolutely will Mike.  Thanks for sharing my table and the conversation. Definitely wouldn’t have had that much fun on my sofa.