6-28-09...THE SKATING RINK
Without a doubt the hardest thing I ever did as a child was learn to roller skate. In fact I never did learn well and never could stay off my backside a lot. Could be that we only had a rink for a few weeks out of the summer. It would set up in Ozark for a while then move on somewhere else like a carnival or circus. The skates weren't in very good shape and the floor was full of cracks. Daddy took my brother Norman and I on Saturday afternoons while it was there.
The first time he took us I was about 12. I guess I thought he was going to be on the rink with me. When I found out he was going in to town and come back for us I balked and wouldn't stay. But I did finally go the next week and Daddy sat and watched us. Norman learned real quick and tried to help me but I kept him on the floor with me so I told him to go on.
One day a boy was there who I was struck on and I sat the whole time so he wouldn't see me fall. I sure wasn't getting my moneys worth. Then a friend offered to help me. She was bigger and stronger than me so she lead me around with her for a while. I got my skate hooked in hers somehow and down we went. She broke her leg and I was so hurt over that I cried for days.
I was either stubborn or a glutton for punishment (probably both) so I wasn't about to give up. I was stumbling around on the rink one day and little kids had noticed me always being there and falling all the time. They started teasing me and making fun because I couldn't skate and they could. Then they proceeded to run in to me and knock me down. My Daddy put a stop to that fast. He told the manager and they got on to the boys but they still taunted me.
The day I learned it was out of shame and desperation I think but I was sure going to show those smart elec kids. YEP. Could have been the cute boy skating around me that I wanted to impress too. I got up off the floor and just flat took off. I figured I was going to sail on through the safety screen because I knew I couldn't stop. But I didn't. I was going now. I skated over to the bar and grabbed on. Made my way to the bench, took those darn things off and got the heck outta there. I had skated but I hadn't enjoyed it one bit. Heck no! I had no desire to ever get on skates again. I had proved I could do it and that was enough for me.
I got on skates in later years a time or two but I was never good at it. As I got older I sure didn't want to fall again so I didn't miss skating one bit. Nope! Never was fun to me. I had proved I could do it so I was through. I had been taught to never says I can't but say I'll try so I always tried hard. Still do.
