Fun in the Cold Winter Sun (The Thrill of Risk)
Written Dec. 11, 1995, to an email Polio List
Some background before I get to the story. Korupun is a remote narrow valley in the rugged interior mountains of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Mountains rise so fast that the rivers are pure white-water; no calm spots anywhere. A tribe of people called Kimyal live there in villages of tightly-packed, round thatched-roof huts. They are masters of the mountain trails. I lived there for 17 years.
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The thrill of the risk. That's one of the things I miss. I never would admit it while I was at Korupun. "Risky?" I'd say, "No. I'm far safer using several pairs of Kimyal feet than one pair of American ones." Well, yes. Even so, my Kimyal carriers nearly dropped me over a cliff once, into a river twice, and we were in dangerous situations several times. I loved it.
But hey - latest word from the scientific world is that some of us born with a "risk" gene. Just gotta do things a bit on the wild side. So what can I do? Can't help it. It lives on in this body. Post-polio did it's best. "Rescued me" from the dangers of life in Kimyal-land. But it can't rescue me from that risk gene. OK, so what I did today wasn't life-threatening. It could have wrecked my body for a long time, though.
See ... I slept late, and woke up feeling great. To sunshine. Right in my eyes. Wonderful. Oh, oh, time to sing ..... "When those wildness genes get hoppin', there just ain't no hope of stoppin', in them old frozen fields back home...."
Snow is gone, but there are BIG puddles everywhere. Icy puddles. They say, "C'mon, gal, have some fun with us." Most folk just skate their shoes on 'em at best. But I .... ahh, yes, .... I get to ride my scooter over them. Almost out of control as it slips and slides. Better yet when the sun warms up enough to soften the ice a bit. I hear it crack under me. Gotta out-run those cracks so I don't break through. Get off and over to the ground? Nah—that's no rush. Out-racing the cracks is. Don't know what I would do if I did break through and get stuck. Blow out my few remaining muscles, no doubt. But that's the risk that gives the rush and that's the fun.
I'm grinning like a kid who's eating the stolen watermelon. Well, no .… there's no guilt in my grin. Just pure exhilaration. Mmm'mmm ...... Cold Winter Sunshine, you sure give pleasure!
