But for a few brief seconds last weekend, I was 12 again.

As I flew down the hill at something like 20 miles per hour, the worries of adult life seemed to blur like the snow beneath my red inner tube.

The sun had made the run faster than usual at the Extreme Tubing park on Ohlson Mountain.

And since I couldn’t remember the last time I had gone tubing, I was a little concerned about making it down the hill alive.

A few, thrill-filled seconds and 700 or so feet later, all I was concerned about was doing it again.

You get the feeling Bill and Sue Strutz get the same kick out of their hill as I did.

Maybe it was that big smile on Sue’s face as she glided gracefully downhill at mach speed. Maybe it was that “yahoo” Bill yelled as he neared the bottom.

And maybe we all just need a few seconds of pointless speed and mindless fun every now and again.

While snowboarding and skiing take skill, tubing gives you that same rush without the work. That simplicity is what makes it such great fun.

All you have to do is sit back, let gravity take over and enjoy the ride.

I laughed as my hat flew off my head on my second run. By the end of my third run, my beard was frozen and white.

My ears were almost as cold as my feet, after run number four, but I didn’t care.

I was just having too much fun.

Kids seem to get this, and I’m sure the hill will be dotted with them this Saturday for the grand opening.

There are a lot of adults like me, however, who must have forgotten what it is like to be a kid.

Thankfully, it only takes a snow-covered hill and gravity to remember.