Look what I can do!!!!!

I remember being a little girl and going across the street and strapping on my white skates with the red wheels. Then Amy Smith, my neighbor, and I would skate and dance around. We would dare each other to go down Dutch Hill, a very steep hill in our neighborhood, we would fly down with no control, or knowledge on how to stop and hope we made the turn onto Olympic without severely hurting ourselves.  Amy had much more skill then I did. She could skate backwards, something I could never quite master and was very jealous of.
To this day whenever I hear the song Brown Eyed Girl, it reminds me of those times. It had become one of Amy's favorite songs, and we would listen to it often while skating.
I moved from Olympic Cres when I was 11. We moved to Riverview, and that was it with me and skating. Rollerblades had become popular, and roller skates were harder to find. I just didn't like roller blades, so my mode of transportation became my bike.
It's strange that 19 years later I would again strap on skates. My co-ordination from childhood was almost completely gone. I had enough memory that I could lift my feet comfortably to propel myself forward, but that was about it!
Now, 1.5 years later I can do so much more on my skates then I could when I was a child. I can skate backwards! Big thanks to Pixel Ninja for working with me for weeks until I got it down. I can jump, not high or far, but my feet do leave the ground and return safely! I can take and give a hit. I know about wheels, hardnesses, parts of a skate. I watch other skaters and hope to have there skill and confidence soon. Like this past weekend, watching the 709 Derby girls, and Rainbow Fight come up behind a pack and jump to the right and continue like it was nothing, it was impressive and by me was met with a "Did you see that? Holy Crap!" to the girl next to me.
Watching Snipress with the LumberSmacks is always entertaining. She has confidence and control I wish I could master. And she's just a really nice person who has partnered up with me and worked to show me how she does some of what she does.
Allie B Basin blew me away this weekend! She was right on top of things, hitting hard, skating backwards. She's always been a great skater, but you could see her confidence throughout this tournament! She was there to do some damage! And she did an awesome job!
So many more impressive skilled skaters, I can't mention them all, but wow! I hope by this time next year, with allot of work I can be where you are!
I find I do the best when I let go. Stop worrying about getting hurt and just do it! It's my own fear that stops me from progressing. It's a hard thing to get rid of, no one wants to get hurt! This next year will be me working past the fear to get myself to the next level. I have some amazing teachers here that are willing to help me, do I must take advantage of the opportunity.
Skating for me is still fun. I still feel like that kid skating around her neighborhood. But somehow, I am better now then I was then. And I'm only going to get better from here!