Way of Life

Derby isn't just a sport. It is way more than that, it is a lifestyle, and that derby 'bug' has bit me hard. I can't drive by *any* semi flat area without analyzing it for a place to skate. Every store I go into I look to see if they have a no skater sign. I walked through a mall in Knoxville, TN and was thinking about skating in between people and dodging signs and that it would be a great place to practice. They only problem I have considered with an 'everything derby lifestyle' is that it could lead me into trouble. Especially if I try to skate someplace like a mall. Most security people don't agree that public means anything the public wants to do is allowed. I have NO idea why. (Sarcasm, if you missed it.)

It is kind of a funny thing, every parking lot is analyzed: is it flat enough, smooth enough, big enough, and is it ever an empty lot? Thankfully since I work a night job I get LOTS of time during my nights off to drive around the town I live in or explore random places.

Thinking about where I could skate isn't the only derby thing that has invaded my life. It has applied greatly to my work. At work we are learning lots of new things, I feel way behind the rest of the people that I work with because they have done it for years. But, just like derby, I can't give up. It's a challenge. Derby is a physical challenge, but work is a mental one. I can't get frustrated when I don't get something, I have to keep trying and keep learning. It's a never ending cycle. That is one of the reasons I went for the job. I haven't had doubts about my job in general, just doubts about my ability. And that happens with derby too. You have to keep pushing and not give up, no matter how hard an aspect of the challenge is. The weirdest part about it is that I am finding so many similarities between the challenges and overcoming them in both. For the first time ever I am challenged in every aspect of my life and I am thrilled for this. I love constantly learning and reaching for things that are beyond my initial grasp. I am finally happy and I have a lot to thank derby for.

~ <3 Kiss My Blarney