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Stephanie Sweeney's avatar

This made me laugh, but what a jerk that guy: “That was hard to watch,” Mr. Goodspeed conceded.

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Clancy Steadwell's avatar

sharron bassano has frequently mentioned what a dick mr goodspeed is as well…glad that is coming across! haha thanks steph

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𝐂𝐁 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧's avatar

This one trigger PTSD from my one time down (what I remember as) a black diamond run (though my hubby assures me it was not). I was right there again with Jude, scooching down on my butt. 😂

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Kathleen Clare Waller's avatar

I’m a sucker for ski scenes. This doesn’t disappoint.

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Clancy Steadwell's avatar

Haha! I thought of you as I wrote it. glad you enjoyed!

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Keith Long's avatar

I went snowboarding with friends when I was twelve, and when I got off the lift (poorly) I knew it would end in disaster. I had the first and possibly only panic attack of my life at the edge of the first slope, but I went down anyway. I broke my leg first run down the mountain, and no one was around (my friends were having a good time at least lol though another of our group broke his arm later that day). I didn’t walk again for a year and had to go through a lot of casts and then therapy to rebuild the atrophied muscle.

This chapter hit hard for me.

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Jenn's avatar

Oh, painful to read on behalf of Jude! But Tommy was as good as gold.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Your mention of Abraham Maslow gives me more insight into Clancy Steadwell, I have to say. I loved this: " I shuffled away toward Tommy, ready to throw myself off the mountain."..... "Let me survive, was what I was thinking?" T's "useless advice" was priceless. Your last paragraph was heart-tweaking.

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James Worth's avatar

the Pendragon mention!! That was my absolute favorite series as a kid, I've still held onto every book even though I haven't read them in years.

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sudana krasniqi's avatar

Oh man. This brought me back to my first time skiing. I must have spent 6 hours on the bunny slopes until I got it right.

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Nov 27
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Clancy Steadwell's avatar

Thanks E.K! This chapter was inspired by a friend of mine who had a similar experience on a ski trip with a family who thought they were a little more familiar with the slopes than they actually were.

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