A skate park is its own sort of bubble. Guys everywhere – no, it’s not a rule, as a matter of fact they tell me Thursday night was ladies night and girls got in for $6, but still – boards flying, flipping, banging, skidding. There are kids here as young as six or eight and a grown man whose wife and toddler son are around here somewhere and all ages in between. Wind brushes my face as skaters swoop by, down one ramp and up another, gaining speed to tackle the half pipe at the end of the room.

I’m stuffing down my mom instincts as hard as I can but there’s something about watching that eight-year-old fly off a half pipe, grab his board in a full turn, then go crashing to the ground that makes me cringe.

Go figure.

I mean sure, he’s got pads and a helmet on, but still – come down the wrong way and slam your head on the floor, I’m not sure how much protection that plastic beanie’s gonna give you.

Add in the fact that it’s freezing in here and I’m all sorts of fun. Bear came along and we’re bundled up under her blanket because hell, no, I don’t care if I look dumb, I AM FREEZING. And here comes T-man, dropping his sweatshirt by me as he says he’s hot while I’m pretty sure my ankles have gone numb. Stupid jeans.

Go figure.

Some guy at the other end of the room literally broke his board in two. I mean, what kind of velocity have you got going that a damn piece of wood breaks in half?? I’ve got a soundtrack pounding through these air pods and it makes me bob my head in time. I figure the music will help me pass the time until these kids are ready to go. If I’m lucky I won’t be frozen into a popsicle by then.

 

Linda hosts Stream of Consciousness Saturday. This week’s prompt is “figure.” Use the word “figure” any way you’d like. Have fun!