UNDER CONSTRUCTION (sorry)
Today, my twin brother Jason and I went ice skating in Minneapolis. Now, he had been talking about how he had only ever ice skated once in his life, and that was in 8th grade (he's now 23, so he's much older than me; not exactly twin age, but we're cool like that). I was teasing him about what it would be like if he ended up falling on his butt while I, the expirenced ice skater, laughed, and I was having so much fun while we rode different buses to the rink....
Too bad, I was the one flailing about.
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At one point, an old woman in a black leotard came up to Jason and I.
"I know it's none of my business, but it looks like those skates are too big. They don't support your ankles enough to keep you steady." Oh. I was wondering why I was that was. "If you go down a size, you'll probably be able to skate better." Hm. Well. Thank you old woman.
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She continued to give more friendly advice about how I may suck less, before Jason and I exited the rink so as to take off skates and replace them with smaller sizes. Being the thorough gentleman he is, Jason decided he would bring both our skates so I wouldn't have to get up from the seats. So he went and I waited, and an old woman in a pink leotard sat down beside me.
"Are you going to go back skating?" she asked. Yes, I said, yes I was. She smiled at me sweetly. "Then I'll give you some advice on your skating, to help you."
She then proceeded to stand in front of me and demonstrate different poses, telling me to tuck in my tummy and put my arms out. I should never, EVER put my arms behind me when I'm skating, which she said I was doing (really, I doubt my arms were ever flailing in just one location). I thanked her for the advice many times, prehaps too many (I felt bad about that, I kept on thinking she was done but she kept on going!) until Jason came back with the new skates.
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Soon Jason, being incredibly socially gifted, started a conversation with her. She said that she had been skating since she was a little girl, and many of the people participating in the free skate this hour were in their 70s and 80s. She went on to say it was an all age sport, and she just anted everyone to enjoy it as much as she did, so she helped people. We said our thanks and were soon on the ice again, while I wondered what a sorry sight I must have been to attract so much attention.
The new skates helped, but I was still a flailing mess. Still, I could hold myself up and skated decently well (I had done it before, yanno) and went on to hurl myself into many a wall and I expiremented with the mystery that was turning. Soon I was doing okay...ish. I was still a giant flailing mess, but I didn't scream nearly as much.
It was at one point that I was skating in the giant circle of life that I came across a horrible sight; an old man, bleeding freely from the side of his head, while his other friends held him up by the shoulders. Drops of blood dotted the ice. As a recovering hemaphobic I was frozen (get it, 'cuase I was on ice?). Then, I noticed Jason.
Jason worked as an EMT, so it was good he was there. Still, I was concentrating at looking away from the blood, and my mood got a bit lower. I started to pass them carefully, feeling a bit bad for not smiling anymore. It felt worse skating about like a fairy too, when some old guy was being carried off with a head injury.
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At one point I went around again and saw Jason wearing plastic gloves, helping the guy with his injury. I felt sorta proud watching, like it was my husband going to war (except I'm sorta anti-war, but you know what I mean). My twin brother, my great friend, was doing good things and helping others with his skills. I soon found myself smiling again. Of course, I was unable to help (though I would have if there wasn't blood), and I had no idea what to do. Help my friend, or leave him while I skate in pointless circles? I decided maybe he would have wanted me to have fun, so I decided to skate. Everytime I made a revoltuion I stopped and looked to see how things were going. At one point he actually had the people around laughing; again with his social gift, and i felt proud he was easing them from worry.
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Later on he would join me again, and I would ask whatnot, and he said he got the injured man to ride with someone home. It didn't take very long at all until a skater came up and thanked Jason for what he had done. Then another skater went up and thanked him, asking how things went. Then another.
Then at one point, the old woman in the pink leotard came again to thank him, before starting to train us on our skating technique again. Apparently she still felt bad for my flailing, and again demostrated the techniques; hands at waits level, in front of you, back bent, tummy tucked, shoulders up. When I saw her, I was reminded of a fuzzy hulking elephant..
She made me march, glide, and turn, before directing her attention at Jason. Apparently he was wobbly to, and he was soon forced to follow her in cicles while doing her directions while I ventured off to be a wholly mammoth.Whit I was sporting my infamous Bear Claw of Doom, I ended up falling the first time all day. I felt very bad, she had worked hard to instruct me, but luckily she was too busy caoching Jason against his will to notice my misshap.
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I got a talk from the black leotard woman too, when she thanked Jason, as many more did before we left. Somehow, we had both ended up known by everyone in the skating rink in an hour. It was an amazing thing.
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If only my fame were as heoric! XD
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Me, in mid-fall.
Life is good.
You... Make me happy. You know that?
ReplyDeleteAnd I did want you to have fun. I was kind of worried you'd feel like I had abandoned you when I was busy with that guy.
But this is awesome. :D