On a roll...

Two weeks pass by since my last encounter with the skates. My husband would provoke me but I would come up with all kinds of reasons for not skating. We were going to return them - I had made up my mind.

Then one Saturday, we went to Lake George with friends. We took the skates along - no idea, what or how I wanted to do it. Did not get a chance to inaugurate while at the lake.

We returned home in the evening. It was nearly 7pm. My husband encouraged me try out the skates (surprisingly! till then he had done his best inspiring me with skating stories involving broken bones and what not...). So I wore my pads and helmet and got into my skating shoes. Felt like I was being led to the guillotine - I was really scared. But then haven't we mastered to put on a brave face? So I put on a brave face and held on to my hubby tightly - very. For over twenty minutes we went around slowly. I tripped quite a few times, but thanx to my hubby, I was still in one piece.

S slowly started loosening his hold on me. After about 40 minutes, I decided to try on my own - and to my surprise I was able to drag myself by myself with S close behind. It gave me a lot of confidence.

Monday came - and I went out bravely myself. I was intending to practice in the parking lot next to the swimming pool in our apartment complex. There were men cleaning the pool before opening it for the summer. I wore my pads and the skates and sat in the trunk for a long time - for over fifteen minutes before I put my first step forward. I was a source of amusement to the pool cleaners. After that, there has been no looking back. I read up skating tips and instructions on the web. Saw some videos on you tube. The web was my new found instructor.

I have finished ten hours of skating so far - keep practising and practising in the park. People who see me regularly in the park cheer me up. That keeps me going. It is a funny sight - as I drag my left foot while I push forward on my dominant right foot. Remember how little boys used to learn cycling - on their dad's bikes when we were kids? pedalling with their right legs and dragging their left leg along? That is how I did it. Funny it looks.

In my last outing, I have been able to skate with both my legs - I need a lot more practice with balance and coordination but I am on a roll. It is exciting. It is empowering because I did it all on my own without an instructor just following my body's instructions and my intuition. But what keeps me going is the exercise I get - skating has been good exercise - and that's a big deal indeed because I put on weight so easily. Now I know I can have a dozen kids (just kidding - dont be shocked!) and get back into shape skating right away:)

What I learned from my skating expedition -
1. Be in the moment, if I am thinking of something else and not focussing, chances of falling are pretty high
2. Keep fear at bay, the many times I fell was because of fear, I let fear control me and lost my calm and common sense in the process and would go crashing down
3. Listen to the body, the body sets the right pace for you.
4. Patience, dont be impatient, remember Rome was not built in a day
5. Practice, even if it is for 15 minutes, practice, practice regularly.
6. Dont be afraid to fall, dont think you are looking stupid - remember, those who have learned the sport will remember what they went through and those who dont skate will admire you for your courage.

So get your skates and roll...