I always surprise people when I tell them I was captain of my water ski team in college, a national championship team at that. Not that I had much to do with the championship part, except corralling some really great skiers and assisting our outstanding coaches.
The only reason I made the team was because my roommate, John Gillette, and our honorary roommate, Eric Hamrick, got me up on trick skis, enough to fill the final position for our men’s team in trick skiing competition. Sometimes my score actually counted, as when a teammate fell in competition.
The only reason John and Eric got me skiing was because I was their roommate, something none of us had a hand in making happen. John and I were college roommates from Freshman Day One because some housing office employee randomly put us together. John and Eric connected because of their mutual passion and Eric moved into a tiny dorm room across the hall from our slightly less tiny room. We became a threesome.
John was an international barefoot skiing champion. Eric was a national ski champion. I was the roommate who hung out while they pursued their passion.
By hanging out with them, I crossed a line into a sport I would never in a million years have considered. How I got to be captain of the team is a whole other story. But to be captain of the team I had to be ON the team. And John and Eric helped me get there – and stay there.
Of the three events in intercollegiate competition – jump, slalom, and tricks – they decided tricks was the easiest event to get me ready for. Don’t take me wrong. Some brilliant athletes were competing in tricks, but the base line was more reachable for the likes of me, a college freshman who weighed 115 pounds at high school graduation.
I haven’t done much skiing since college. But I have been launching into other unfamiliar territory – crossing lines, borders really, into uncharted geographical, cultural, and ideological waters ever since. Reaching out to people very unlike me. I didn’t fall into border-crossing because of a roommate. I “fell into” it because of my faith, whose Founder calls his followers to cross borders for his cause.
Along the way, I’ve discovered that my ability to cross lines or borders or stretch myself beyond my comfort zone is greatly enhanced by hanging out with others already doing the same. Just like I “fell into” water skiing by hanging out with water skiers, so too you can fall into crossing cultural, geographical, and ideological lines for a very good cause by hanging out with other border-crossing adventurers.
Thus, my invitation to you: How about crossing a line or two with me this year? How about stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone? How about joining me in journeying into the borderlands of life? Together we can make it happen. I’d love to hear from you!
Photos: John barefooting, the team with Eric and John seated back left and me same row 5th from left
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