Not an auspicious time for my skating

I don't feel like skating.

Last week I skated on Monday and after I found out I won't test I didn't skate on Wednesday and Thursday as I have planed. On Friday, I still didn't feel like skating and I knew I won't skate on the week-end. I've asked a friend to come skate, so then I'll have to go. She cannot always skate on Fridays and I texted her asking if by any chance she can make it there, or at least she can talk on the phone because "I'm upset on the skating world". Read why, here. She answered that she'll move things around and be there. This is a friend I've met skating and she's become a good friend. She's also not the only one. So I thought right then, how can I be upset on the skating world when it has given me such good friends.

The skating was on the studio rink and the ice was chopped already and I was only 15 minutes late. I've heard later that it hasn't been cut after a mini hockey game. I was also very very stiff. We ended up just skating around and honestly I didn't enjoy it at all. I started telling her what bothered me, and I've got all worked up again .The previous days I've been trying actively to not think about it and let it settle. She, as other skaters I talked to, said consolatory that yes, this is the skating world... Somehow this makes me sadder. She said that, as she knows me, she is worried if I will be able to really block the negativity and enjoy skating. But she also said that any other activity I'll choose to do it's gonna be disappointing at points. That's life... So Friday, the skating was anything but good and the negativity towards skating was strong. But I've got to see my friend.


Monday I had a crazy busy day but I pushed myself to go on ice. In the summer on Mondays, we have adult ice but figure skaters and hockey players together. And trough the years there've been some big fights about.... music. The hockey players use the radio rock station very loudly and the figure skaters use soft lyrical music and also don't like the radio as the advertising is louder then the music played and so, distracting. I've heard one day two years ago, it got so bad that somebody from the rink management came and took away the music player! Didn't I tell you that the skating world is crazy? Last year I've made a list on my phone with classic rock and 80's. And I've went and asked every single skater the first 2 weeks if they would give it a chance, the hockey players would have rock music but at least the figure skaters would be happy it is not on the radio. And it worked. This Monday as I've got there I went straight to put on the music, but  one of the hockey players told me angrily to not touch the radio. The classic rock radio station was playing loudly. Then another hockey player came and explained that the other figure skaters on the rink agreed with the radio. Ok, no problem. In 2 minutes, the hockey player came back and said to put my music on because some of the figure skates started to complain. I said, ok, no problem, just please don't keep doing this, I actually really don't want any part of any conflict. But everybody relaxed afterwards and we've had no more music complains. I was approached then few more times and asked to hold negotiations about going the other way for the second half of the sessions and then going CCW again, that I did almost resentfully. I was still upset on the skating world, why were they bothering me? Still, we've got to live and hopefully skate another day.

Each time after a test I find I need a little adjustment period. I prepare for a test intensely for few months and the last month (when the registration is sent) is all about the test. It is naturally to feel without a purpose afterwords. Or tired. Or unmotivated. I didn't get to test and I don't know when I'll test, so I didn't feel I've had a purpose on ice this Monday. I've done a little bit of everything. It was no intensity so it felt without passion. But as I've had to talk so much with practically everybody on the rink, I've found myself realizing that even if they skate differently, like different music and think differently, everybody there loves to skate. There is a lot a love in this crazy, toxic skating world!

Each year I find it difficult to adjust to the summer skating schedule, and this year it is no different. The days, time and places and rink dimension where I can skate in the summer are not only different from the fall but different between them. Each day of the week is different. To be honest, I actually find it difficult to adjust to the summer. I love winter and I dislike heat. Also, I still don't have my car so I cannot get to the further away rink for my lesson, and next week I'll miss it because of the forth of July so I won't have my coach's guidance. I'll have to take one skating day at a time and see where it goes.