Shane Tries To Hockey - Part 2

I'm a nervous person. I definitely have anxiety issues. What was freaking me out was some shipping issues with my helmet, which finally arrived on Wednesday afternoon.

But what was REALLY freaking me out was the skate thing. I spent a while trying to find a place to get them sharpened after they arrived. The rink wasn't open that afternoon, and I didn't want to travel half an hour to go to Dick's. There's a local store that used to do sporting goods, but now mostly sells merchandise for a local college. Apparently they sharpen skates. Maybe. I dropped them off at the end of last week with the promise that it might be a day or two. Cue yesterday morning, not yet even touched. "Call back around four, the guy should be in this afternoon". Nope. Guy never showed.

So now I've got a problem. I haven't skated in ten years. My work schedule and the lack of skates has left me unable to get my chops back. Thankfully there was a public skate this morning. I swing by to rescue my skates from the Place That May Sharpen and head to the rink, only to find that public skate was 1-4, and not 11-4. I was in and out in 10 minutes and now have sharpened skates, though.

Except that I was busy all afternoon. Errands to run, and helping my girlfriend and a friend with a photo shoot. In hindsight, I really wish I'd had a chance to skate this morning.

After getting to the rink and meeting people, I felt like I had it. Someone lent me a pair of shin pads since mine are still en route. Everyone in the locker room is pumped that someone new's trying to play. And then I stepped on the ice, and with the grace of a baby giraffe, meandered a lap around the rink. Ankles: wobbly. Confidence: shot. It's honestly more physical than mental at this point. Skating after ten years is not like riding a bike. But this is just a minor setback, and in hindsight to figure I could just hop on the ice and pick it back up was pretty damn stupid.

I have to look at this as encouraging. The rink does a few Learn To Play sessions every week, so I'll definitely be there on Monday night before I give pickup another shot. I'll get out there and play sooner rather than later. I'm determined. In the words of Rollie Hortence, ya gotta be shitty before you can get better.