Hard road ahead.

I went to the local roller rink with my friend last night. She decided I needed a chance to get out and skate. She also decided that she wanted to make sure the first time I got back into a pair of skates was NOT with the ladies of the team I plan to try out for.
GOOD THINKING MAYA!
So we went down to the rink, paid our admission fee, decided to upgrade to better skates (she wanted blades and I chose to get speed skates which is what I will wear in derby), and put the skates on.
WOW. I thought it'd be a bit like riding a bike, once you know how, you never really forget. I was mistaken. I stood up and felt a bit unsteady but otherwise confident. Then I tried to move. Just so everyone is aware, your center of gravity MOVES as you age, gain 100 pounds then lose 50. I have a lot of work to do before I can skate with those intimidating ladies I so long to join.
I did eventually mostly get my bearings (hee hee I so punny) under me, and discovered that I am actually more comfortable skating in a somewhat derby-like stance, bent over, than standing straight up anyway. I got ambitious and tried to do some crossovers. I have a good feeling that I will be able to do this as I get more comfortable on skates and was even able to get one foot slightly crossed over the other on the turn. I skated for an hour, with no pain afterward, except for one thing...
I fell down. yep. I fell down. It hurt. I didn't take my pads and all to the rink for fear of looking like a lunatic, so when I landed on my knee I got my very first rink rash. It's a sad little raspberry on my knee. It hurts. I feel like a big jerk now, because just yesterday I told my daughter to stop whining about her little scuffed elbow. Now that I have a similar scuff on my knee, I understand. Those things STING. I hope that this first fall being so small will help me not be afraid of the fall.
It was hard to get back up. Not mentally or emotionally mind you, but physically difficult to stand back up on skates, where I had nothing to grab and was afraid my fingers might get run over if I used my hands. But I got up. I continued to skate for a while until my feet were hurting from the rental skates and my skate partner was getting sore from using muscles she had forgotten she even had.
Thank you Maya, for taking me out and letting me be a fool in front of a few random strangers rather than letting me try my first skate with the derby girls.
Rink rash sucks. Can't wait to get another.