Sunday, March 2, 2008

Hell on Wheels

Took the girls skating yesterday. We had a good time, and my legs are nice and sore. Not a bad work out. I believe I heard every song ever recorded by the likes of Hilary Duff and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. I had to fight the temptation to cheer out loud when We Will Rock You came on.

People watching is one of my favorite hobbies, and the rink was a fine venue for it. I spent a little time observing the children as they moved past me.

I noticed that when little girls skate, they stand up straight with their hands slightly out to their sides for balance. They skate at a comfortable pace, side by side with a friend, chatting or even holding hands. Their main objective is staying upright. If a little girl falls, her friends stop to help her up and ask if she is okay, looks of sincere concern across their little faces.

Little boys, on the other hand, skate bent over at the waist, leading with the chin, with arms and elbows and feet flailing madly at the wind. They race by in a flat out, damn the torpedoes, to hell with the devil vengeance. They do not stay with their buddies, choosing instead to race them. When they have to stop, they do so by slamming into a wall at full speed. If one of them falls, the other boys cackle wildly and point.

There were some adults at the rink, mostly parents. I watched them, too, yes I did. Guess what... skating behavior does not appear to change with age.

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