On thick ice

At one point in my childhood, I was determined to become great at roller skating. Although my dad wouldn’t pay for me to take lessons each week, my friend Erika Timar and I would still go every Saturday afternoon and teach ourselves. We actually got pretty good. By the end of the year, I could skate backwards and do arabesques.Then years later, I went roller skating in college and was absolutely awful, yet I didn’t fall … until someone pushed me down. I still remember being pushed into the wall and having all of the people near by laugh at me. While it wasn’t as embarrassing to me as you’d imagine, I vowed that night never to roller skate again.Then last night, I went skating again. This time it was on ice … a first-time stunt for me. I was mesmerized watching everyone glide across the rink. I wanted to step to the ice and instantly be Sasha Cohen, but nothing comes that easy.All laced up and ready to skate, I stood to my feet with way more difficulty than I’d imagined. Who knew it would be so difficult to balance on two thin blades?Well, once I mastered walking on the carpet in my skates, I was quite confident that I’d be able to hit the ice the next time I ever came to the rink. But no, the wonderful girls I was with (girls I’d just met weeks ago at our church small group) actually pushed and pulled me out onto the ice. Slipping the minute I stepped on, I knew this all just wasn’t for me. But I did it. I went a quarter of the rink, clinging to the wall the whole time! It was fun. When I got off the ice, people cheered for me (very silly, but very fun).It was fun trying something new.Next up is skiing/snowboarding…