I had a pair of roller skates when I was a child, and never really got beyond the holding onto walls stage. We lived on a steep hill with no garden which didn’t help, but to be honest, I was never going to be good at it.
As a teenager I went ice skating on a Saturday. Every Saturday. I never liked it, nor did I get beyond worrying about the red patches on the rink, or the athletes foot I might get from the skates, or the boys that might be looking as I fell over, again. Once I managed to get round the whole rink without holding on. Just the once though.
In adulthood, I had a go at stilt walking, it wasn’t as bad as ice skating, and I guess I could have got better with practice, but it didn’t seem like something I needed to do, so I didn’t pursue it.
I have come to the conclusion that having my feet flat on the ground with the normal amount of friction is just where I need to be. I don’t need to roll or slip or stride, just walking is fine. It’s better than fine, it’s great, it gives me time to do the things I am good at.
There’s a whole load of other things I’m not very good at, but somehow I’ve muddled through life without them.
Some things I’m rubbish at and am happy about
- Roller skating
- Handstands
- Diving
- Taking and giving directions
- Remembering lyrics
- Simultaneous equations
- Learning foreign languages
- Climbing ladders
- Picking up slimy things
What have you decided you don’t need to be good at?
Skin of my teeth 