We got in 2.5 hours which I was pleased with as still don't feel 100% and neither does Oat. Well lots of snippets happened today, nothing major but my middle one is still enjoying her Sorbothane lined hat raspberry in colour... I start singing the a prince song "she wore a Raspberry Beret..." yes I am old enough to be a Prince fan... She actually looks steadier without her helmet, which I have to admit, I can't look as having one brain injured already.... Whereas my eldest, is actually is safer on the ice, on land he falls up the stairs, down the stair, slips lands on his bum on the floor... on the I I think I've see him fall 3 times this season on his skates maybe, if that and when he does he falls well.
Well they had a blast, and Oatie and I had fun at home, below is a snippet of Oatie dancing wheeling his shopping trolley/cart.
Rink side chat is always bizarre, well once again is a minority bullying within a minority, something that I have found odd, like at French school the bulling against Oatie's cerebral palsy. Well, we live in a hockey town, thru and thru, and for the seminar the town REFUSED to let our club hire the community room which they would have got paid for, because it was the figure skating club... the room which is up a level in between the rinks, sat empty all day not a single user.... They were saying how for Summer camp the town has cut the ice amount and put up our ice fees by 45% at the beginning of this season all because we're not Hockey. I have nothing against hockey ice or otherwise, In England I, my dad and my husband all played Field/Grass hockey at school and I keep my husbands hockey stick near by when I go out in the yard/garden at night...
So our skating club gets' bullied by the Town and by the Hockey community for being a figure skating club. Out of all the day to day people we meet, the parents at the club are the most supportive and interested in Oatie's Rehab, I'll give them that.
Well I'm not fan of PC, Black is Black and white is white, why have all these fancy non de-script words... I'll never forget when I did "Check in" for a National Airline and this lovely FAT man came to my desk and bought one seat when he'd need 3... so I said to him, I don't want to offend you but how would you like me to describe your "request" to the guys in "close outs" the people who could give him "free" if space was available seats rather than making him pay for them... He said, please tell them that I am "hugely FAT!" Well I phone up and said "I have a really NICE gentleman who requires three seats, because of his body size..." and they were sweeties and gave him 2 extra seats complimentary.
Well the parents today were chatting about which way people spin and the ones who spin the other way to the "norm" have funny terms in the skating world... well unless you're Patrick Chan and is an ambidextrous skater..., and one mum said I spin the "retarded way too!", "retarded" isn't a word we use in England any more in descriptive language as it's considered rude. Then they went on using more terms usually reserved for handicapped people laughing... at least at themselves.
Well at my kids level, the parents for the most part are all encouraging each other's kid and it's a nice atmosphere on the bench. Where the older/better standard skater is out there it's all catty, is the way I describe it.... Even-though for the most part it's an individual sport, we are one club, and the skaters can learn from each other, one of them might be able to show or explain in a kids way that just makes that skilll click for another kid... The reality of reaching the pinnacle in this sport or any sport for that matter is an not an achievement reached by most, so why all the hostility, catty, bitchy behaviour? This sport is an unforgiving sport, repeated pain, you could be the best skater in the world and catch the wrong edge and one slight minuscule mistake and it's game over. So the skater has to skate from their heart (not their parents), aspiring for the Olympics if that's their dream, but really the parents on the bench need to take a deep breath and remind themselves that this is their kids activity, cheer in their triumphs and give them hugs when they fall or things don't go how they planned, why do they sit there on the edge of the bench, glowering at them or shouting "tips". Or when their kid has moved up a level, not all but a good amount of parents will not speak unless they have to to the lower group parents... - ridiculous!
The reasons...I don't understand the bitchy, nasty side of people really, actually I find it unfathomable, How can people, actually devote energy and time to be purposefully rude and mean to people, and have to remember who they will speak to and who they won't, and who is beneath them in their eyes. Ludicrous! All that energy and conscious thought and NEGATIVE energy, rather than just being able to enjoy your children having fun and learning new skills, keeping fit and making friends.
Well, I know one of the reasons and it happens to all humans when they are in confinement or over congested... Our club cannot get any more ice time for the growing club in a small town with 3 Full sized ice rinks, who have many successful skaters past and present and upcoming maybe to the Olympic team, because the Hockey teams won't get all the ice that they want. It's almost like the town is trying to Squeeze the club out. So our Ice sessions are all FULL... so there is little margin for error and on occassion skaters do by accident get in each others way... or in the senior sessions they have this stupid pecking order thing which the parents could irradicate and get all the skaters together and just have it out in an open forum and just say either skate with courtesy or get off the ice had cool off... but just let it continue... as there is protocol on the ice depending who's in a lesson, who's music is played etc....! but due to the pecking order it at the higher level isn't being observed...
During the day at the rink it's a joke. Apart from the pre-school learnt to skate programme which is fabulous, the rinks are allocated for Shinny at lunch and unless a school wants to use them they are left EMPTY for most of the day. They won't allow public skaters to skate on them and there is only one public figure skating session a week.
Well my older two did really enjoy the day, and I felt the more they cemented/bonded their friendships at this stage, if they have strong bonds and us with the other parents can have a good bond so to speak, maybe our level of skaters as they move up, can stamp out this nonsense!
Which was my point really, seeing the photo of Oatie so happy on the ice, I must progress his ice sled/ or being permitted on this "town's" ice of inclusive skating. If they are like that to figure skaters what will the town be like to Oatie? Unfortunately due to Oatie and I having the lurgy we haven't been able to get up to the other side of town to check out the sled skating yet.
Oatie makes me smile every time I see his picture. And, you, my dear Mel, I am so glad that you can release your thoughts and feelings. Both of our children, Aimee and Adam were involved in many team sports - gymnastics, ice hockey,figure skating,skiing, baseball, softball, field hockey, soccer and, invariably, each had its own culture - rules, hierarchies,inequities. I remember that Adam always pleaded with Phil to coach any of his sports (Phil could not nor did he want to), believing that he would get the attention he deserved or even preferential treatment since it seemed that so many parent coaches demonstrated that with their own children. I just wanted them to develop skills and to have fun.
ReplyDeleteWanted to mention something - with all the colds and flus. Have you ever explored "cell salts" with Alex Sutton? We have been using them for years with Adam and many ABR parents use them. You do an online evaluation with Alex Sutton (he lives in Australia and he is a biochemist) and he prescribes the cell salts you need to stay healthy. He's a very nice man, very accessible and understands what our kids need. If you are interested I can send you his e-mail.
Like I keep telling my wife, you have to learn to develop a healthy disdain for the bulk of humanity...have a happy weekend and stay away from the negativity of people; usually means you have to be mostly alone or with immediate family!
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