Just Keep Skating ...

I write this with rosy I-just-came-back-in-from-the-cold cheeks. I just came back from my first skate on Ottawa’s Rideau Canal in quite a few years. I have the luxury of having the World’s Largest Skating Rink at my doorstep. Not only had it been a while since I’d strapped on the skates, it was my first ever solo skate. It felt a little weird being out there on my own. Usually I have someone to lean on if I’m wobbly on my blades. This time, I had to do it on my own or rely on the kindness of strangers to help me out should I fall. Not a bad practice for life really.

It took me a few minutes to feel confident enough to get going, but once I did it felt freeing. I broke into a somewhat smooth rhythm. At my first wobble, I started chanting à la Dory from Finding Nemo: “Just keep skating … just keep skating … just keep skating,” I chanted for an hour, until I took off my skates. Not a shabby way to get a workout. Maybe I'll try it again sometime.