What a great pursuit! It took me 39 years to try this sport.  In my younger years, I never had the chance to try it.  Skating is a wonderful exercise;  excellent  for improving ones balance and a way to socialize, all in a smoke free environment.  Although you can 'zombie skate' (just lazily skating around the rink), you can put more effort into it with a result of more calories burnt, increasing levels of skill that brings enhanced body tone and a great sense of accomplishment.

     I have skated and worked at a skating rink for over a decade.  Of course the money is nice but meeting new people is even better.  Many times a work I find myself listening to a good song and notice my feet and my body "skating" to the music.  I know that the requirements of everyone's of job is different, but how much is it worth to find yourself enjoying the work more because your "skating to the music" instead of working?

    For the record, I met my wife, Barb, at the rink. See My Wedding Page for more on the love of my life. She's a great lady, works hard and keeps me on time.  I have been known to become sidetracked from whatever project I've been working on.  It is wonderful to have a sexy helper like her!

    It is years later and I'm still skating.  I've taught people from 19 months to 65 years old, how to skate.  My granddaughter is now skating and I look forward to see how much she improves.  She's just beginning to learn how to skate backwards.  The look of exuberance and accomplishment on the faces of kids is exceedingly difficult to replace.  The thrill of keeping up with their friends will spur even greater effort and hopefully to have those characteristics instituted in other areas of their life.  Whoa!  Too heavy man, to turn a phrase.  A few years ago, the location escapes me at the moment, I read that at a government study reported that one of the greatest threats to the health of senior citizens was to fall and break a bone.  Many never recover from this consequently one of the best things a person can do for themselves is to do something to improve their balance.  Roller skating is a fabulous way to improve your balance while having a good time and interacting with other people  in a healthy (even smoke free) environment.  So get out there and skate!
 
 

Here's some pictures of skating over the years.