Any other lapsed rollerbladers out there? Help cheerlead me to finding what I love.

Stacivogue

so I bought rollerblades a month ago and have been trying to get the courage to get on them. I used to blade 25 miles a day and it was very soothing. I started at Dartmouth and had this bucolic setting. But I remember the first time I went.

I had saved up my dining services money for a month so that I could buy the damn things, and I found a nice quiet, flat (I thought) road and put them on, pretty sure I had wrist guards, a bathing suit jog bra....no helmet. Or maybe no wrist guards.

Small fact about Dartmouth at least when I was there...the fraternities and sororities all had many "house dogs". They would wander the campus...people who lived in houses rather than on campus or lived off campus altogether often brought them into class with them...they would hang out in front of the dining services hall and wait for leftovers. And it was one of the things I loved about my school. I remember that one of them adopted me from my boyfriends house and would sometimes follow me home and sleep at the foot of my bed when I was sad.

anyway...so there I was, rolling, when I realized that the grade was NOT FLAT. And I started rolling faster and I was out of control. At that moment a friendly chocolate lab came around the corner, and was totally interested in this person on wheels and he started loping toward me. And I realized that when we met, I would flip right over him onto the pavement. OR I COULD JUMP INTO THIS BUSH RIGHT HERE.

so I did. And I somehow did a sort of tumble roll and got all scratched up. The dog came over an licked me, comforted me, and then walked off. And I remember that in that moment, I made a decision. I bought the damn things and they were dearly expensive to me, I was going to learn how to use them.

so a few days later (or maybe the next day?) I found a nice, recently paved small parking lot and just did circles. And listened to music and got control and learned. Then I expanded to a nicely paved loop of part of the campus. The I went on the "Etna loop" a popular running loop, that was about 5-7 miles, and had many hills that I could climb, but more gentle grades where I could dreamily drift down, almost skiing, in the country past farms and through a tunnel of trees that just left me awe inspired in their beauty.

When my Dad had a heart attack, (he survived) it became a sort of therapy. The first sport, besides skiing, that I really loved. (And it was free! No lift tickets..no frozen toes) That I looked forward to every spring as I anxiously waited for the sand to be cleaned from the roads.

Eventually I became sort of a fixture on campus....the rollerblade girl. In such a small school, many got to know and recognize me, but I didn't care what they thought,

I just loved it.

when I moved to NYC after college but was still living in Nj at Home, I would keep them under my desk and then go blading almost every night, I moved to the city and bladed from the village to Central Park, and would do the loop in Central Park. I loved the Harlem hill, especially on weekends when they park was closed to traffic. I would blade and then rest near the Bethesda fountain, on the steps, drinking bottles of water and watching the street performers and the people walking by.

When my father was diagnosed with cancer, it became my solace, my way to deal with the grief inside me. I remember there was this puppeteer who did sock puppet lip synch songs. He was awesome, and I caught his show every weekend at least once while I sat on the steps.

One day, he came over to me and said I looked like the saddest girl in the world. And I told him about my father at Sloan Kettering, my fears, and how it was the only thing that took the pain away. He offered to do a private show for my father in the hospital. It was so kind.

it got me through my beloved father's passing. He was my rock. He loved me so much, he told me every day "nobody will ever live you the way it do, I love you no matter what."

Then I hurt my knee, and foot and had to give it up, like so many other things when I was handicapped. So it has been almost 15 years since I put a pair on. Since then I have healed mostly. I cam walk now. I still have my pain days, but I really think I need to re-claim that part of me.

and even though when I tried them on and promptly fell on my *kitten*, knocking over a sock rack, I bought them anyway. I waited until I had lost some more weight, I thought maybe my center of gravity was off. I have been driving around with them trying to find a place to try again. I am not 23 anymore. And I almost tried the loop in Central Park (I live in Connecticut) twice in the past month. But today when I was right there, I realized it was a Monday (I had taken the day off) and there would be cars.

I drove home, got on the blades, walked gingerly down the front lawn, got on the last few feet of the driveway...and promptly fell on my *kitten*. I still know how to,fall to avoid the cocic (sp?) bone, landing quite hard on my left buttocks and thigh.

man I was not sure if I my pride was hurt more than my butt, and I was scared out of my wits, we live on a not perfectly paved cul-de-sac,and there was much debris from the recent storms that tore down many trees. There was sand, I got up and just practiced rolling around part of the street for a but until the pain became more insistent.

The I went in and nursed my pride and my thigh with an ice pack.

So, my next step is to find a nicely paved school parking lot and try again. I need this. With the demise of my marriage and the grief that I am going through I must find the things that made me feel Good. That built my muscles and my pride.

For the next few days maybe I will try spinning (standing up) because I need the endorphins. But I will try again.

Maybe I will find someone to give me a lesson.

I can do this, and if I can do this, I can buy a new pair of ski boots. And reclaim that identity too,

wish me luck on this journey, I need this , I want this, I did it before, I can do it again, I will buy some padded shorts, that's all before the next attempt.

Stacivogue

I went 5 feet and fell spectacularly on my *kitten*. Gigantic bruise.

NinjaJinja

Oh man, I can relate. I used to roller blade a lot when I was a kid - mostly at the skating rink because the school would put on skate nights. (Maybe try to find a rink? Nice and flat and smooth.) Anyway, I recently bought a new pair, thinking I might take it up again. Oh my god I am so horribly out of practice. I didn't fall in the store but it was really shakey. I bought them anyway.... and I still haven't put them on at home! Now I am making excuses saying it is too hot outside right now, I'll do it in the winter after the weather cools off. I'm going to try going around the patio a few times until I get the hang of it again.