Cross-Country Snow: Male Bonding and Obligations

       Cross-Country Snow has a way of displaying the way that men bond in its truest form, as well as dealing with the choices we all face in life and which path we should take. This story starts with Nick and George getting off a ski lift and skiing down a mountain in the Swiss Alps together. As soon as they get to the bottom, they hike over to an inn to get a drink. They sit inside the inn and drink and talk about life for awhile before getting up, putting their skis back on, and skiing back home.

       One of the reasons I like this story so much is because it displays how many friendships of men are formed-- through shared experiences. While there is definitely some grey area in between, I do believe that men and other men become friends in different ways than women become friends with women. When I think of my best friends-- and this is how many would describe their best friends-- they are the people that have been with me through thick and thin, who have had fun with me, who have helped me through problems, who have experienced amazing things with me. When I think of how some women bond, I think of them talking to each other, getting to know each other, understanding each other and being there for each other when one needs to talk. The skiing used in this story is a perfect representation of how I have bonded with my best friends. It is the unspoken things. We don’t need to talk about how awesome something was, we don’t need to try to explain it, we don’t need to spill our feelings about it, we just experience it, and once you have that shared experience with someone, you are bonded. Nick and George both know the feeling that each gets skiing down those slopes. It does not need to be explained; it is an unspoken bond they feel. This is good male bonding at its best.

       The other reason I liked this story is because of the relatable situation Nick and George face in the tavern. Let’s look at the big picture. Both men are in a tavern in the Swiss Alps, away from the rest of the world and from any worldly problems. However, they have things waiting for them back in the real world. George “got to get educated;” he has to leave that evening on a train to take him back to school. Nick is going to have a baby with Helen, and does not seem too excited to return. In fact, both don’t seem too keen on returning to their normal lives and responsibilities. As George says, “Gee, Mike, don’t you wish we could just bum together?” 

       Both would much rather stay in Europe and just ski. However, they both have obligations to fulfill. George has made a commitment to get an education and is determined to complete that. And as much as Nick doesn’t seem to want to go back to the wife of his child, he must. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. Many times in life we are faced with a choice: do what we want to do, or do what we believe is the right thing to do. And I truly believe it is at these moments that our character is tested the most and eventually determined. Nick and George both decide to do what they believe is the right thing to do, and to ignore what they want to do, to stay and ski. Through this, they both grow as men. Being a man does not mean not doing what you want. Rather, it means taking responsibility and following through on obligations.