Sunday, October 3, 2010

“Skills Deficit Syndrome”

What if one person in a relationship is more skillful in an outdoor activity than the other person? It might lead to “Skills Deficit Syndrome.” 

“In retrospect, it's clear we suffered from what I've dubbed SDS, or Skills Deficit Syndrome, an affliction that's become all too common to relationships nurtured (and ended) in the outdoors. He enjoys jogging; she trains Kenyans. She likes to boulder; he soloed El Cap barefoot. ..

A buddy of mine who's normally very patient remembers ditching an attractive woman in the middle of a skate-skiing weekend because she had, thanks to bone disease, a rod in her leg. ‘She wept when she couldn't catch on,’ he remembers. ‘Come on,' I said, ‘It's just a steel rod.' And I skied off.”

Read the whole story called “Outta my way, Pumpkin.”

1 comment:

Lisa said...

Love the article, I did break up with a guy once because he skied like a dork. It musta been something else too though because my hubby, skiis kinda dorky and I married him anyway.
It also seems to me that an "enthusiasm deficit" is more of a problem, Do you think it is harder for men to continue to do activities that they find difficult or can't be best at? I like to do many things that I am not a champ at, I often wonder if the skill deficit is a problem for my friends.