Walking on ice

While I was walking home I met a man treading carefully on the icy pavement while his two dogs, full of joie de vivre, ran ahead sniffing the slippery surface. Sherpa too is very surefooted in the snow. Banjo, despite his imperfect hind legs has no fear either.

As children we made slides and unafraid slid down them, confident that our sense of balance and cerebellum once attuned would know which way to lean to avoid falling. For animals and young children walking on ice is left to the unconscious. It is when too-clever adults say, 'Watch, you might fall', and sliding comes under the control of the conscious mind, that we really are in danger of injuring ourselves.