My previous ice skating adventure
For years they were in the closet and very sporadically they were allowed to come out. My skates. Fortunately it doesn't froze enough every winter for a solid ice floor, but when the time came, I put those things back on. Take the children home to the natural ice cream or to the ice experience in the ice skating hall nearby. In the village where I worked a real skating rink was built, for which you would need real frost. When the time came, school classes could use it — neatly by appointment. Fortunately, my role there was a controlling, so my scribble was not so noticed.
Skates that haven't been used for years have to be sharpened and every year after the ice experience I thought: 'I really have to take care of that again..'But then, of course, that ice period would just be over again.
In January 2009, I remember well, it had finally frozen firmly again, and so there had to be skating again. At home, almost everyone had grown out of the skates and so new irons had to be purchased. And why shouldn't I buy a new one myself? This time, not those cheap things, but 'real'. Additional advantage: new skates were sharp enough. Another advantage: the new ones had sturdy, high shoes, and my swinging anklets would have more support in this.. In short, everyone happy and we left for a good and spacious ice skating. We found it in Vught. De Ijzeren Man, a large sand extraction glass, created for the construction of the railway line, was completely frozen and covered with a thick ice layer. Plenty of room for a crowd of skating enthusiasts. Unaccustomed I went to work, and while scribbling I reached, for my doing, very nice speeds. Very good for the personal skate trust. Of course there was a crash here and there, but that's part of it..
At one point, my speed was firmly inhibited by a piece of more irregular ice, concealed under a mountain of snow — or planed ice. A experienced skater knows how to avoid something like that, but I couldn't.. Probably also because I got pretty tired of all that skating. I lost my balance and tried to correct. As a result, instead of moving forward, I now fell backwards. I caught the blow with my arms, with the right arm responsible for the most part.
Ouch. So that's what I thought. And that's what I thought again after:!
Like I said, falls are part of it. Usually a small break and a little rubbing helps. Just to be sure, I got off that ice, because another crash didn't seem like such a good idea..
'Can you drive??“asked my wife, when we wanted to go home.
'Sure, 'was my answer, 'why not??'
I started the engine and put my hand on the gear lever, a minimum shift of a tenth millimeter was enough for my injured wrist. 'Er, you drive anyway.'
Instead of driving straight home, we made a small detour to the hospital's first aid department.
I chose blue plaster.
I've given up skating ever since that day...
(c) 2021 Hans van Gemert
Own photo
