PVC “Walkers” for novice skaters. What a clever idea.
Today Robert and I had lunch out and then took a stroll to see the new tent in town. Salem (Oregon) decided that it needed a skating rink at the waterfront park. From the outside it looked like a huge white turtle-shaped tent. Inside, it was all a buzz with music, laughter, and the soft scraping of blade against ice.
It brought me back to ice skating as a child on a pond near our home. Very different, of course. My experience could have been a template for a Norman Rockwell painting. The air, so cold. I navigated my skates with a wobble and could never get the hang of skating backwards. But it was such fun. Once I got into a glide, it felt like flying.
The tent today was filled with very loud music and so many people. Did I even try to skate? No. But I loved watching those brave enough to do so. Everything was different about my experience as a child and this big beautiful tent full of strangers. Everything, except the crackle of excitement that filled the air.
Thank you, Salem, for this bold experiment. You made my day and you gave the city a wonderful winter experience. May this year be the first of many for the big white tent.
Drawing on Words 