^^^^^ This is a fictional story. ^^^^^
My name is Sven. I’m a big mountain snowboarder.
After nine full months of long discussion with my sponsors, they finally passed my project plan! I got the funding for my support team and equipments, we are going to the Swiss Alps again!!!
Today is the day. I kiss goodbye my mother & girlfriend, popped into the SUV. There my drone cameraman, photographers sent by my sponsors, medic and mountain guide are already waiting for me. Everybody are excited for the big day. We have mild weather and not much wind, perfect!
During the long boring drive, I stared outside car window at the endless snow mountains, and memories brought me back to childhood.
I was sitting at the front door of my grandpa’s cottage and crying… “Why? Boy. Did they bully you again?” “Yeah… grandpa… uuuu… they said I’m too little as a 5th grader. uuu… I’m nobody.” “Sven, hey, Sven. Look at me. You are not nobody.” “See! How big are the snow mountains!”
I opened my tearing eyes, and saw my grandpa’s field spreading out in front of me. Indeed, around it, there are snow mountains in the background, in all directions. We are indeed surrounded by snow mountains.
“You see, comparing to the mountains, we are all little, we are all nobody… but we are all special! Sven, you are special too, in your own way! You just don’t know it yet.” “Go out there! Go explore the world! Go find out who you are, what you can do! You may think there is nothing, but there is always something special, anywhere! There is always something, only you can do, only you can offer the world! Go find it out!”
I love my grandpa. He always encouraged me. He always lives in my heart.
So, I went and explored the mountains around me. Since high school, I worked as a mountain guide and helped out in camp sites during summers. In winters, I work at ski resorts as ski & snowboarding instructor, sometimes as a cook, so I could ski & snowboard all I want for free.
One time, my relatives took me to South France for vacation. We saw some people jumping off the cliff into the sea for fun. It was really rocky steep cliff. My cousin asked me, “Do you dare to try?” I smiled, “Why not?”
Before he could react, I’ve already climbed up the cliff, “1 and 2!” I counted and jumped. I did not count till 3. I did not let my fear catch up with me. I just closed my eyes and followed my instinct.
My instinct told me to straight up my body, reduce the surface area, feel the gravity, spread my arms and hit the water with my hands first.
When I hit the ice cold water in the sea, it felt like being stabbed by a thousand knives all over the body all of a sudden, and sank deep inside the water at the same time, I struggled out of water surface, breathed as hard as I could with my mouth, and choked in some water. But I lived!! Floating on my back, I heard people cheered for me from top of the cliff. At that moment, I felt more alive than ever!!
A young girl opened her eye wide with disbelief… and asked my cousin, “Who is he?” My cousin laughed loud, “Nobody… hahaha… He is Sven.”
Another time, a girl asked me, when I had my shirt off. “Wow! Do you workout a lot?” “Workout? Nah… I just play!”
From then, every summer I headed to South France. I had a new summer job — cliff-jumping! I either took a bet or tips from the crowds, then I did the jumps, again and again, I always lived to come back!
When I was in college, I started to take snowboarding competitions. At first, it was just some local competitions in the ski resorts that I worked in, then it went bigger and bigger. I became a national champion. But I didn’t really enjoy competitions, I think. I like to simply play, in the snow.
One time, I hiked up to the peak of some unknown mountain with my buddy. It was waist-deep of powder snow, all virgin. The only marks were our footsteps. Looking down, I could only see white sky and white snow all connected. I had no idea where it was heading… I suddenly felt a thrill to dive in. I just turned around and said to my buddy, “Let’s go, man.” Then, I tipped off the slope, and it was unstoppable! I just followed my instinct. I felt the surface. I felt the wind. I felt the chill. I felt everything. Most of all, I felt alive!!
There, I got hooked.
I started taking videos, and going to higher and higher mountains… I broke some bones too, sure! But I always returned. I looked for sponsors… in order to fund my ambitions.
I think, if one day I die in the snow, I’ll still be happy, happier than dying in a sickbed or be an old man.
My grandpa was right! There is always something that only I could offer the world!
I may not be rich or powerful or famous, but at least one day if I die, I’ll have some kick-ass videos that stay on the internet. At least I can tell somebody in heaven or hell that, I truly lived my life!
I remember chatting with some sponsors, successful businessmen and some lawyers. I asked them what they really wanted to do, their answers were like, go sailing or touring or fly a plane…
After all, we all have the same dream, to relax, to connect with the nature, to have fun! So, what are you waiting for??
^^^^^^ The End ^^^^^