Over and Over Again

IT WAS A beautiful January day. I was sixteen and going skiing with my boyfriend for the first time. The ski area, close by our little town in New York State, had a beginners' slope and a rope tow. On the drive up, my friend gave me specific instructions on how to work the tow. "Grab the rope loosely," he said. "Let it flow through your mittens. Then tighten the grip."