edges of the rink

 

What I noticed at the rink last night is that the edges of the rink are the best.  The ice near the edges is smooth as glass, void of almost any skate marks.  That is because few people venture to the edges. The majority of skaters prefer to stay in the grooves of the inner circle.  The track that most people follow is

the thick icy ruts created by those who lap the ice around and around and around and around... 

The ice in the ruts gets cut up, pit holed and choppy. It's easier to fall under conditions like that. I hit the ice hard the other night while crossing over the ruts practicing cross overs en route to the gleaming surface of the corner.  Lesson: get up, shake it off, and try again.  I can't stop just because I fall.  I circle the rink in figure eights and loops of various sizes always with the view to reach the edges for those epic turns that makes me feel like a professional skater.   The turns and swirls that transcend me from the everyday and remind me of how fun skating is. How fun life is.

I think people are afraid of the edges.  What if they fall off the ice?  What if they can't stop?  What if it's off limits?  What will happen if they go where others don't?  What good God would happen if they leave the rut to enjoy the bliss of the corners gleaming under the night sky?  Surely there must be a good reason why no on else goes there...who am I they ask to make tracks on a clean surface?  What if I stand out from the crowd?  What if....

Well let me ask you this?  Who are you not to?  Who are you not to tread where others don't?  Who are you to stay stuck in the ruts, get caught in the race and leave yourself in the grooves created by generations of others who make the holes that are most likely to trip you? 

The edges are beautiful.  They call you to practice turning so you don't crash.  They call you to be extra mindful of space, timing and distance.  They invite you to see your own path marked clearly.  They dare you to experience moments of delight that others miss.  They ask you to listen to the sound of ice cut under your blade, not the scraping of rough and worn surfaces.  They remind you that there is more to life than the circle of contentment.  They teach you to get up if you fall down, especially if it hurts hard.  Next time have your eyes open wider and your focus sharper. 

The rink is life.  The ruts create order for the masses.  Use them if you must but don't get stuck in them.  Cross over to the corners.  They are the diamonds that glisten in the night sky that make the skate worth while.  Fall into the snow if you can't stop, hit the boards....then bounce back knowing that you are stronger than you thought.  Live life for the edges so you can enjoy the fullness of the skate.

The season is drawing to a close... Spring is just around the corner so if you  haven't laced up and hit the outdoor rink yet I invite you to do what you have to to make that happen. Even if it's just once...accept the tease of the corner so you can say you've been there.  Guaranteed glee...now that's AWESOME!!!!

p.s.  my skating visual is refusing to move to the centre...this is too funny... so I'm going to stop the struggle of forcing it to do what I want and let it be on the edge...obviously that's where it wants to be :-)