I may be an Ink Slinging writer, but at one time I was The Ham Slinging skier.
Let me back up to the beginning of this story...
It was high school, I am not sure if I was a freshman or a sophomore, but I am leaning towards the former. It was my first ski trip with friends. I had only been on the slopes one time before, with my sister and that quick introductory trip was many years earlier and consisted of mostly the bunny hill. I was really looking forward to going on a lift and a gondola, making my way through the colored trails as my abilities climbed.
Before the big weekend, I bought new skis and a really cute ski onesie (look it up, these were BIG in the 80's, they were not bibs, but full on glamor outfits lol). I also bought food to take on the trip. It was a seven hour ride to Killington Mountain and I know I am like a baby bird that needs to eat often, so I thought a bag full of Italian subs would be a good meal to take with and share with my friends.
We left on a Friday afternoon and it didn't take long for me to dig into my food. My Italian ancestors were floating above me, clapping at the amount of delicacy in my little playmate. By hour four or five we were getting a little wild on the fancy charter bus. There were some kids that had smuggled on alcohol and were well on their way to being sick. There were others smoking pot in the back seats, giggling loudly, with earphones on and their walkman playing Duran Duran (John Taylor still holds a place in my heart) or classic rock depending on who they were. Me though, I was eating. I was in the back of the bus with the gigglers. It may have been the second hand smoke or me just being stir crazy, but I got the strange idea to throw the ham from the middle of my sub out into the stratosphere of the front of the bus.
The first one was a direct hit to the side of the face. I heard a faint "What the heck was that?" and I saw the shadow of our chaperone rise up and turn around, swiveling his head back and forth. I stayed low. It was quite dark at this point, so I could not be identified too easily.
This whole oddly orchestrated event caught the attention of my best friend. She dared me to do it again. I quickly grabbed some more meat from between the gluten goodness roll, and as I cocked my arm back to throw, she yelled:
"HAM SLINGER!!!!" (If you ever watched Bugs Bunny, she said this in the voice of the announcer who said "THE CRUSHER" in the Bugs v Crusher wrestling episode)
We both fell behind the safety of the seat in front of us, laughing uncontrollably. We heard a few of the upperclassmen grumbling and one said : "Its ham!"
Game on.
The fight of food began. It was quick. Tops 60 seconds. Shear intentional ham slinging. And then, just as quick as it began, it was over. But things were different. You see, before this we really did not know one another, we were all from different grades and social groups. But after "the incident" we were connected.
We bonded through ham.
Of course now, I have upped my game and I am now bonding through words. You know, an ink slinger. But there was something to that bus ride and ski weekend in Vermont that can not be replicated. Ever.
That is why, even though I am all about helping others open their souls through writing, I am also all about blogging about my travels and adventures, because living your words is just as important as writing them. And we bond through our words. Writing them. Wearing them. Reading them. Living them.
PS- It was a great weekend in Vermont and I got really good! In fact, just three years later I met Sting in Canada while skiing. My friend and I chased him down the hill and to his car while I was heavily bleeding from my mouth, he was literally running from me... (another blog post to come... lol)
Hello! My name is Lucie Dickenson. I am an ink slinging Jersey shore writer with a flair for fashion and a heart full of peace. I love to travel and everywhere happens to be on my list of places to go.
As a former full time worrier, writing became my outlet for healing. With a BA in English, a marriage certificate in Irish* and 15 years as a contributor and blogger, my writing helped me overcome debilitating anxiety and catapulted me into the world of helping others put pen to paper. I am a bestselling author and would love to guide you to become your best self through words- writing them, wearing them, reading them & living them. www.luciedickenson.com