We’re now in February, and before I even got to write a post about it, it’s already been 17 days into the month. I could have written about Valentine’s Day, but the day came and went. It was a pleasant opportunity to reflect on all the love in my life, but today I choose to focus on a different kind of love—not for a person, but for skating.
A Different Kind of Love
Skating, specifically rollerblading, has been and still is a significant passion in my life. It’s difficult to express in words the intense joy it brings me. It’s one of those things you have to experience for yourself to really get it. When you finally experience the carefree feeling that the flow of rollerblading brings, you come to realize that there’s nothing quite like it. As I said, it’s difficult to explain, but I’ll try as best I can.
From Childhood Quads to Rollerblades
As a child, my first introduction to skating was on quads. I vividly recall, back in the 80s, gliding around the kitchen in my home on rainy days, looping from the living room to the kitchen and back again. I can still hear the Fisher Price radio echoing in the background “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears.
Sharing the joy of skating with my younger brother, who also got quads, created cherished memories. To this day, we still skate together.
When rollerblades first came out in the 90s, the transition was seamless for us. Going from quads to “blades” felt like a natural evolution of sorts. Rollerblades gave me a newfound sense of freedom; they allowed for a more diverse experience that favored the urban landscape and all other terrains, not just paved cement like quads.
Rediscovering the Passion
As with all hobbies in life, sometimes you abandon them to focus on other things like school, relationships, and the grind of becoming an independent adult. Six years ago, though, I rediscovered the joy of rollerblading, and it colored my world pink!
By the way, rollerblading is a good exercise, but I don’t even think about it in that way. It feels more like an effortless and carefree adventure. Rollerblading allows me to get lost in the world like I did as a kid.
Remember what it was like when, as kids, we’d take off after lunch on our bikes only to come home for dinner? That’s me now, but on blades. On some days, I can skate for hours, never taking off my skates.
If supermarkets allowed skates, I would do all my shopping on skates. If the driving pedals were bigger, I’d drive in my skates. If I could go to work in skates, I would do so in a heartbeat.
Being a rollerblader is sometimes an act of rebellion, in which you often find your adolescent streak testing the waters. It’s almost a rite of passage for skaters.
Connecting with my City
Skating is also a way for me to intimately connect with my city. There’s nothing like gliding through town in the early morning with a coffee in hand, watching the day unfold all around you. The sound of the birds singing their first song, the scent of freshly cut grass, the feeling of the wind caressing your skin, and the warmth of the sun on your back. It’s all so serene, yet invigorating at the same time.
Creativity on Wheels
When I’m rollerblading, my creativity blossoms. Skating becomes the fertile ground where my ideas to write take flight. With each push forward, I feel liberated, empowered, and unstoppable.
Rollerblading also becomes a mindfulness practice for me. As I traverse the concrete waves with heightened awareness, I ensure that every maneuver is executed with precision and grace.
Urban Playground
Fear becomes obsolete in this urban playground, replaced instead by a necessity for constant vigilance. Intrusive thoughts fade into insignificance against the rhythmic pulse of the pavement beneath my feet as I swerve the bustling streets with calculated precision, strategically evading any potential dangers.
Skating isn’t just a hobby; it’s a survival skill in the urban jungle. It’s a test of resilience in the face of adversity — cracks in the sidewalk, puddles, potholes, barking dogs, bicycles, and cars.
Skating to the Beat
Rollerblading offers me the chance to connect with my favorite music in a different way. I often synchronize my skate to the rhythm of the music and accept the melody’s invitation to dance.
Through music, rollerblading becomes my time machine, taking me back to the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Another dimension opens up as I travel on my wheels through time and space.
Breaking Free and Overcoming
Rollerblading allows me to fulfill an inherent desire we all have to break free from the limitations of the human body. It offers a feeling of weightlessness, a chance to take a break from gravity for a bit. Skating taps into a primal need to soar, feel the speed, and the thrill of it all!
In the city, where obstacles abound, you learn to develop a deep connection with your skates, trusting them implicitly after years of bonding.
Your skates become an extension of yourself, almost like a second pair of feet, guiding you through challenges that become achievements as you successfully overcome them.
A Transformative Experience
In essence, skating is more than just a physical activity for me — it’s a transformative experience that brings me deep joy and intense freedom. It brings mindfulness into my life. As I glide through the bustling streets, synchronized with the rhythm of the city, I am reminded of the words of Helen Keller…
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.“
In skating, I find my daring adventure. It’s a reminder to embrace each moment with gratitude, to cherish the simple joys, and to find beauty in every glide.
Thanks for reading!
Yours truly,
The Dreaming Siren 🧜♀️
