You’ve surely seen the luge competition on the Winter Olympic TV telecasts. I’m not a huge luge (little poetry for ‘ya, there!) fan. If you’ve seen one run you’ve kind of seen them all. I mean, I can appreciate someone riding on a little sled down a solid ice course at 80 mph…but a little goes a long way for me. It’s sure nothing I’d sign up for!
But I had me a little luge-like experience a few years ago and it did give me a little impromptu glimpse into what those lugers might experience. Here’s how it wend down: We have a good sized family; there was Julie and me and five littler Taylors’ (all of ’em grown up now). When you have a family that size it takes a lot of effort around the house to get it all done and keep the house in presentable condition, if you know what I mean. Well, one instance to prove the point was when Julie applied a good sized dose of tub and tile cleaner in our bathtub. She did give me a ‘heads-up’ that she’d done it and asked me to use a small towel to spread it around when I got in the shower, and then rinse it on out when I was done. No big deal, right?! Anything to help out.
Well, it was another hour when I got into the shower….and the last thing I was thinking about was the tub and tile cleaner. I stepped in the shower just like always and as soon as I got my last foot in the floor of the tub….the luge ride was ON! Really ON!! Who knew that this stuff would cause the tub to be slicker than glass?! I mean a lot slicker!! I was DOWN in less than a blink of the eye and it was up one side of the tub then down the other! And the more I tried to get my feet in under me….the faster I went! I was banging my head, my elbows, my knees….and anything protruding on the rock-hard surface of the tub. All you could hear was a bunch of banging around and porcelain squeaking! (I now know why all pro lugers wear a helmet!) Keep in mind, this was all taking place in a 2′ x 5′ area! I don’t know how long this lasted….but it seemed like forever. I finally got ahold of the shower curtain and rolled up into a little ball and tried to relax! The ride finally ended. (Thank you, Sweet Jesus!) With the help of the shower curtain I managed to get to my feet, ever so carefully. I looked down at my feet and all ten toes were spread out as far as humanly possible…..as if trying to get a little more traction! I safely got out of the shower, still breathing hard, and seriously considered kissing the bathroom floor!
Since that day I always watch that first step into the shower. I don’t even have to try…it just seems to come natural! And when the Winter Olympics come around again I might or might not watch a little of the luge competition. But I will say I have a whole new, profound appreciation of what they’re doing!
P.S.-You might have to ask the Lord to help erase those images from your mind!
