“We gain STRENGTH, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… Do the thing you think you can not do” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Minutes before I went under anesthesia, the surgeon came in to draw an arrow on my right leg with a marker. I looked him in the eye and told him that after the surgery I wanted to be able to (1) run, (2) wear high heels, and… (3) skate!
It was obvious by his reaction that other people do not make such wish-lists/ demands often or EVER on the operating table, but I wanted to be clear about my high expectations. I was looking for one of those spectacular outcomes that seem to be reserved for professional athletes; not mere mortals like me. He looked at me in a curious way and simply asked if I could do all those things before?
I hadn’t planned to blurt out a checklist… and why on earth did I come up with skating, of all things? I’ve actually despised skating since I was eight years old. With weak ankles, I could never ice skate and my parents wouldn’t let me quit skating lessons even though it meant all the other kids spent their entire lesson waiting for me to eventually make my way across the ice. I am still traumatized to this day!
Well just as the anniversary of my surgery came around, the entire Netherlands went into a deep freeze like we haven’t seen for years. To me this was a “hell freezing over” kind of sign. Time to take part in a very Dutch tradition while the canals are frozen over…time to get out there and skate!
Determined to make this happen, I spent days trying to coordinate a STRONG skating partner; locate size 38 skates to borrow (not easy when everyone including the kid I borrowed them from wants to be in their skates), and recruit a friend to document this on video. It seemed like a bad idea to hand my iPhone to a stranger while stranded on skates.
So after a few failed attempts to coordinate my skating debut at the very special location I had in mind, I woke up Sunday morning to a sky full of big snow flakes and a forecast indicating temperatures would climb above freezing the following day. Yikes! Last chance, today would have to be the day!
With the skates in my possession, but the Plan A skate partner unavailable, my friend Lisa agreed to accompany me to skate with a stranger. She didn’t realize until we arrived that being the accomplice would involve walking out onto the frozen Hofvijver, the water in front of the Dutch Parliament building.
Keeping in mind the temperature of -4 degrees and the kindness of Lisa to freeze her butt off to fulfill “my Dutch Skating Dream”, I didn’t waste time choosing my target/skating partner. Within a few seconds I spotted a guy spinning with great expertise on his skates just in front of me. For obvious reasons (not being able to skate at all) I had to go ask him before putting on the skates.
I couldn’t have been luckier with my choice! Miles, just in The Hague for the day from Amsterdam, was an excellent skater, strong enough to hold me up, and most importantly had a good sense of humor. He smiled and laughed the entire time and I’d like to think he was laughing with me, not at me. Originally, I had asked him to just drag me around once, but after a few times around, I was actually skating! Well almost and it was so much fun! We would have kept on going, except I noticed Lisa freezing while patiently waiting.
The video clip Lisa kindly shot was of my first moments on the ice; all in the first lap. No need to adjust your media player, I really was moving in slow motion. Hopefully I posted enough photos, that you won’t feel the need to click on the video. It isn’t pretty, but I did improve…I swear!
As we walked back to the car, congratulating ourselves on how well Plan B worked out…SURPRISE, the plan A skate partner from the gym appeared on the scene ready to skate! So, skates back on and off I went for another couple of rounds on the icy Hofvijver. Luckily I managed to survive both “skate dates” without falling or hurting myself!
It was exhilarating to cross one more “can’t” off my list! So…go do the thing you think you can not do!!! I dare you.
{ 7 comments }
Woo hooo …. the owner of the skates is happy that at least his skates made the Hofvijver … even if he did not :). LOL …. Good for you: checklists, checked!, surgeons challenged; missions accomplished! Next blog: hidden camera of surgeon reacting to you saying: “Did i!” 🙂
great photos and movie
Thanks Moira! It was so much fun!
Suzy, you make your mother proud. I remember those terrible skating lessons too. It was hard to watch your pain. So glad you were finally able to mark that off your list! Love you
Thanks Mom! Hope I didn’t make you feel bad reminding you about torturing me with the skating lessons. I’m sure this is one of the reasons I never ever give up, even when sometimes I probably should and anyone else would. Most of the time this dogged determination serves me well…so thank you & love you!
Skating is always much more fun in my mind than it is in reality, but skating on a frozen river looks very fun! Wish I was there!
Agree with you 100% Rodney! I was only going to skate because I said I would…I thought it would be miserable, that is why I was so shocked that it was actually more fun in reality than “my dream”! It was a unique opportunity to skate there, just walking out there was special and the next morning everything really was melting… Wish you were here too!