rollerblading

i hadn't done this in years. when a friend suggested we play squash together, i declined but countered with a suggestion that we go rollerblading. i did warn her that i was useless at it but she said she was, too. she also assured me she'd found a reasonable place to practice. well, as long as it didn't involve going downhill - i haven't yet mastered stopping - i was game. surely it was like cycling?

as i stood up on my skates, i realised this wasn't like cycling at all. i felt as if i'd never rollerbladed before. while i knew i was terrible at it (this was not false modesty), i had really thought that i would remember more. my friend, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease as she made a few circular turns on the street we were on. we were aiming for the running course nearby - we never made it that far. in 30 minutes, we at most got as far as covering 200m and back. that did include the time she took to give me precious advice on stopping, which was the best advice i'd ever received on the subject but which didn't come naturally. later on, there was also something about moving forward while keeping both feet on the ground at all times, which was challenging. i clearly need a lot more practice! still, it was a fun half hour.