Re: Rollerblading . . . and not blowing out the candle to soon...

[Guest guest]

Hi Soulmate Laurie --

Well, I know how you feel! I gave it up -- very, very reluctantly -- for

several reasons.

The first was the inescapable danger and risk of doing it where I was doing it.

In the L.A.

area, I go around the Rose Bowl and it's FAIRLY safe, I think. Fairly flat, a

few nice hills,

and the drivers and walkers and runners are used to us whizzing by, though the

cyclists

seem annoyed by us. Still, it's fairly safe because if you go down, there's

usually someone

nearby who'll pick you up or call an ambulance or something. Here in

Massachusetts, we

live on an island, and I go around the island in the street. There isn't much

traffic, which

is why I thought it would be safe. But, I fell on the downside of a hill, and

barely managed

to ROLL myself out of the way (after discovering that I simply could NOT stand

up or get

up out of the lane of traffic) only a few seconds before a car came over the

crest of the hill.

I was lucky because 1) I was no longer in her way, and 2) She was not speeding

and could

pull over, and 3) She recognized I was injured, and packed me into her car and

drove me

home. However, it could have been a teenaged kid, like my son, in a hurry to

get

somewhere with something on his mind and never imagining some " over-the-hill

mama "

to be in his way. And that might have been the end of it right there. The

worst part was

having to face my HoneyPie, who never thought I should be rollerblading to begin

with,

and who had been urging me to stop. I was hoping he'd be behind the house

cutting the

grass, which is where he was when I'd departed. I couldn't bear to go in there

with blood

all over my face . . . .spelling: DEFEAT! First thing I said was, " Don't look

-- I'm really

fine.... I really am. " And I went into the powder room and cleaned myself up

with my good

arm. And I was okay, in that there were no serious internal injuries.

However, there very

easily could have been, and we both knew that, and I didn't have the stamina to

keep on

fighting a losing battle. Sad thing is, though, that there is NO greater

burner of calories I

know of, and no more FUN way to burn calories that I know of, short of skiing,

which you

cannot do on a little island with no mountains near a big city. So that's why.

I didn't mind

the cold . . . it went away after five minutes because I was creating my own

energy and

warmth . . . Shoot, talking about it makes me want to go back and do it again!

I wore

EVERY pad imaginable (except a padded bra) . . . kneepads, elbow pads,

wristguards, a

helmet, glasses. . .. (but not shoulder pads that day). My glasses broke and

one of the

stems turned into a dagger and sliced my left eye (but I was lucky . . .the cut

was in a

wrinkle line RIGHT about 1/16 to 1/8 inch under my eye. It was deep, but it

healed

perfectly and you can't even see it. I could have lost my eye, though. Why is

it that no

matter how much you protect yourself, you always get it where you weren't

expecting it!

In L.A., near the Rose Bowl, the hardest thing is when cars come out of parking

lots on the

southeast end, and you're not expecting them to cut in front of you. They don't

see you

coming (even though I have a head lamp, and had taped a loud horn to my left

wrist

guard); and if they pull in front of you -- well -- there have been a few close

calls because

you can't stop THAT fast, and swerving isn't easy at that speed. So, I just

decided that, at

58, i probably shouldn't be trying to live like an 18-year-old. You know the

story about

burning your candle at both ends. It's just -- well -- some of us never got a

chance to do

some of these fun things years ago, and it would be a shame to blow out the

light without

even seeing it burn.

Oh we-ell..

>

>

> >>since I no longer rollerblade (damn! I LOVE rollerblading, and I was

> getting SO SO SO good at it, too! Like flying! Wish I could still do

> that!).... )<<

> Did you give it up because of the accident (recognition of how easily that

> could happen again), or something physical? I don't think I'd give it up

even

> with a serious accident, but then again how do I know, since my most serious

> one was a huge hematoma on my hip right after I started ten years ago. (I

> still have scar tissue.) I've gone down a few times after hitting rocks, but

> fortunately not at any great speed. The one time I was really cruising I was

> able to steer my body to the grass and just got bruises and a big grass

> stain on my knee.

> It IS like flying -- I'll agree with that. Although I am finding it harder

> to make myself go out in the cold the older I get.

>

> Laurie in Seattle

>

> " I read recipes like I read science fiction. I get to the end and think

> 'well, that's not going to happen.' " -- Rita Rudner

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

So, I just decided that, at

> 58, i probably shouldn't be trying to live like an 18-year-old.

You know the story about

> burning your candle at both ends. It's just -- well -- some of us

never got a chance to do

> some of these fun things years ago, and it would be a shame to

blow out the light without

> even seeing it burn.

> Oh we-ell..

>

Anne,

Seriously You should keep doing it! Maybe not in the street but wow,

if you can DO IT. My mother would never ever do anythign fun and

exciting such as roller blading. I dont think she knows how to ride

a bike ... well maybe. I think it is so admiring to see you continue

to do fun stuff (my brain is jumbled I cant think of a better word).

I really do mean this sincerly... Its amazing!. I will give my mom

credit though she is really sick for her age (58, dont tell her i

told :-P) with all her arthritis and her back and all she couldnt do

it if she tried. I dont really know how to convey what im trying to

say becuase my brain is mush right now (sorry its finals time). But

it is really great that you do all that even now and in the cold

too :-). Wow. I was just in awe. sorry. K . Hope all is well

Hanan