I tried roller blading

On the Sweetest Day of 2011, I just happened to visit the Incredi-Roll Skate & Laser Tag Family Fun Center (on Oklahoma) for some rollerblade fun. I always wanted to learn rollerblading. A friend of mine forced me to get into it for sometime before giving up on me. But this sweetest day, I gave it a try. It’s indoors so there’s no danger of getting run over by a truck. How many people might be there for the embarrassment part? I thought may be 10-15, but boy, I was wrong! This place was full of people. People on rollerskates, rollerblades. Zipping through the center.

I knew I didn’t want to do it right then, but I’m not a chicken. What’s more embarrassing? chickening out seeing some 7 year olds doing it or giving it a shot and rolling next them on the floor, well, literally! I tried; it’s been a week and my wrists still hurt. But that’s not the point. The point is I was able to do it, albeit, slowly. It was fun and yeah, a little embarrassing. I fell down even before entering the ring. Once there I was ok-ish for a first timer on rollerblades who has never even tried anything that starts with roller other than those that end with coasters. 😉

There are some things that one shouldn’t do. I mean, one just shouldn’t do. Like being on the rollerblades for the first time and going to the rest-rooms to pee with the rollerblades still on. The toilet floors are made of tiles and they slip easily. You know where I’m going! I somehow managed to get there but after that was, well, funny. Tried the usual way, but the damned rollerblades gave that back and forth rocking motion, which I’m sure would’ve ended up on some epic failure or funny video sites if shot. So, I held the water pipe that was running down the ceiling in one hand and tried with the other hand. That didn’t work out well either! Thankfully there was no one in there all that time; I zipped out without dirtying the floor or my jeans!

A couple of more laps, no falls, thumbs up from the guy who watched over people. All went well. I just re-chanted the words that guy told me while I was wearing the rollerblades.

“First time? Uh oh, don’t leave that person, just stay next all the time. It’s all about the confidence man, you go out there and do it.”

At first I was staring at my feet and soon realized that was wrong when I fell on my ass. I could feel my legs just rolling and then all of a sudden upper body is falling back and is in air. I just put my wrists to the ground before my butt hit the floor. Ouch, that hurt. Learnt a lesson but couldn’t avoid the next three falls while all the kids, what it seemed like, going at 50MPH right next to me. Anyway, it was fun. I should do it again, albeit, with the wrist guards.

At the end, I was just trying to find a seat to remove the rollerblades and going down the hall. This same confidence-guy saw me from a distant and gave two thumbs-up with a big smile. I should have known better and just continued on my blades instead I twisted a little bit to give him thumbs up and fell really hard still holding the thumbs up. For the next five minutes I was sitting across the tables, he never looked at me again!