I Don't Like That I Said This
I don't even like that I thought it
Hi all:
Today was another great ice-skating day. I think the entire southern Maine skating community congregated on the Royal River in Yarmouth. Even with a light dusting of snow, the ice was mostly fab. I have never seen so many cars at the Yarmouth History Center or parked across the street at the Royal River Park. It was parking lot mayhem and there were skaters galore. It was a full-on good energy vibe. Walking onto the ice, I saw a huddle of young skaters sipping cocoa and laughing, grownups with hockey sticks, and teenagers laughing and showing off their skating prowess.
Ann and I hopped on the ice and skated through the throngs. As soon as we were a half-mile or so past the landing, the crowds thinned out and we shushed down the river (or I guess, up the river). Along the way we skated by some very happy people of all ages — little, little ones to folks older than me. About 3.5 miles in we happened upon friends and stopped to chat for a bit (they had put in at Route 9 and were skating in the opposite direction from us). After we skated away, Ann said, so and so is an intense athlete (or something like that) and I said, which I am now embarrassed about saying, “she doesn’t look like an athlete.” I mean, me, who cheers on all women in any athletic endeavor. And I don’t look like an athlete! Here I am superficially judging a woman who Ann told me is a badass in many ways. Like truly badass. Why did I jump to that statement? Have I internalized the societal ideas of what an athlete should look like? Time for me to shed those insidious notions of who presents as an athlete. It’s unhelpful for me to think this way and it’s certainly not supportive of my fellow women. Next time Ann says to me, “She’s a crazy intense athlete,” I’ll respond by saying, “That is super cool. Maybe I could join her on an adventure one day.”
On the Royal River, photo by Anne Henshaw
Ann skating a brook off the Royal River
I’m not sure how much longer the skating will stick around, but it sure has been a glorious run.
Happy Adventuring,
Gillian