We lived in Fort Collins, Colorado for about a year when I was 10. It was a big city for us, exciting and scary. I have so many memories of that year both pleasant and not, but one sticks out as the funniest. Some moments are funny but gain humor over time and become funnier. This moment was super funny at the time and just retains the same epic humor. It was the first and only time I peed my pants (just a little) from laughing so hard. I wish I had a picture of the setting.

My older brother, Jeff, younger brother, Joe, and I climbed over our back yard fence (we weren’t used to being fenced in) and headed to the canal that ran right behind our house. The water flowed freely and we had explored it extensively during warmer months. Now that it was frozen over, we continued our explorations. It was fascinating to see the movement of the water below the ice in some parts and even more amazing to see the frozen fish, minnows we thought, suspended in the ice.

The three of us were ‘skating’ back and forth across the ice, then challenging each other to try more difficult tricks or maneuvers. Jeff heard it first, the first whine of the ice that signals weakness. But, we’d experienced that before and kept on playing. Then, a few more high pitched whines. Jeff easily slid himself to the edge and stepped off. He warned us to follow. I was next and as my foot stepped on the ice closest to the bank, the toe of my shoe broke through and my toes felt the sharp zap of icy water. I squealed. Joe froze on the ice after watching this. Then the first real cracking sounds began. We told him to get off the ice, but to go slow and not try to run. He slid one foot in front of him and began to transfer his weight to that foot. The ice began to give and as he moved his back foot to take another step the forward foot broke through the ice. Immediately he was in the water, one leg held up and to the side and the other wet to just below his knee. The look on his face…total shock. He made some sounds, but no words. Then he put his dry foot on the ice and tried to step up. As his wet foot came clear of the water the other foot plunged and leg into the icy water. Every step was the same- step, plunge, step, plunge. It was so funny because he literally looked like a cartoon, his actions, his expression, the weird sounds. We were big Indiana Jones fans and this whole scene reminded us of Indiana Jones getting into a pickle. We were trying to get him to the edge but it was so funny, we were doubled over laughing and had a hard time reaching our arms out. Once he got to the edge we began the very short (50 yards maybe) walk to our house, in the snow. When we reached the fence, that’s when reality hit Joe. It was one thing to put frozen foot in front of frozen foot while walking but to climb over a fence and then jump down onto frozen feet, well that’s really painful (as I experienced myself later in life).

Jeff and I reenacted the scene over and over, mimicking Joe and laughing hysterically. He wasn’t too happy with us, but somehow forgave us along the way.