"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
I'm sure we've all heard that before. Maybe from a person collecting for charity, our friends or family, a protest, or even a judge.
"Like, I'm sorry your honour, I HAD to check how many people viewed myInsta story of my heavily filtered breakfast, while I drove over the speed limit through a school zone!"
That could legit be a true story though, if Tauranga's shocking phone use while driving stats are anything to go by.
Anyway, over the weekend I was part of the problem up a mountain. I went to Mt Ruapehu, Whakapapa ski field, on Saturday for a little day trip to slide down a volcano on a plank. I love my snowboarding, for the same reason I like golf ... when I'm doing either of those things there is literally nothing else on my mind for a majority of the time, apart from the task at hand.
For those like me, who find it hard sometimes to disconnect from life for a bit, it's super important that you find these things that switch off an over-active brain. Ok, sometimes I replace my thoughts with pure aggression and self-loathing on the golf course when I've just driven two balls off the tee straight into the water, but still, at least I'm focused on just one thing!
So I get to Whakapapa to find that there are no less than 5800 people on just that side of the mountain alone on a bluebird Saturday.
Annoying.
But I'm part of the problem, I'm one of them ... if you haven't been to the mountain for a while you should go. It's three hours, facilities have been upgraded to cater for the non-skiers really well ... oh and the snow is SO GOOD there right now.
As much as I blame the "sightseers" for clogging up the mountain ... seriously, half of the people up there had no skis or boards in sight, they were just taking selfies on chairlifts.
But hey, they've got as much right to be there as I do. I tried to park my disdain for Aucklanders in boat shoes in the snow and just cruise past them with my headphones in ... but they got me in the end. So I took a selfie of my snowboard and boots, just so I'd fit in.
I clearly prefer the saying "if you can't beat 'em join 'em".
- Will Johnston is host of The Hits 95FM Day Show. Live and local from 9am-3pm, every weekday in the Bay of Plenty.
