2 years ago today, Germany time, I walked out of my house with some shitty skates and some equally shitty gear to head to my first Fresh Meat practice, with my husband walking me behind me, asking if this was an April Fools joke. I then drove 137 kilometers, one way, and never looked back. Derby was in my future and I couldnt possibly return to pre-derby ways. My last two years have been a crazy roller coaster of disease and injury but dammit, I am still here and if I play my cards right, I might even make a roster. Ive learned lots of things from derby culture these last two years. Endurance comes to mind. When you are stuck in an MRI machine or a lung biopsy that you can feel, breaking it down into jam time is helpful. You really can do anything for two minutes at a time. Really, try it. Strategy; when sentenced to long term steroids, see the long game. You have to learn and learning takes time and learning to breathe and retrain what is left of your lungs is a solid exercise. This applies to any injury. I had to relearn this the hard way when I sprained my ankle. Practice, practice, practice. Even if it is your breath, practice. If its a crossover, practice. Left turn around toe stops, practice. If it is understanding, practice. Everything in your life can benefit from practice. Embrace the suck! Yes, even your most shitty moments have learning value. At home, at the Doctor, at practice. When you are feeling defeated, you are on the verge of a breakthrough. Fight that shit to the other side, Good things await you. Community. I have always been an outsider. I hung with the outsiders, had no interest in being part of crowd. Derby changed that. We are a community of EVERYONE. I wish the whole world was like derby, Sure, we have our drama, but on the whole, I have met some of the best people of my 41 years in my 2 years of derby (you know who you are). I have NEVER seen communities come together to support a person as quickly as derby people do. To wrap up this horribly long post (sorry guys), derby has been very, very good to me. It has been a light in a dark tunnel, I have wrecked a car and had derby girls rescue me, I have sat waiting for test results with a derby girl holding my hand. I have had derby girls drive an hour and a half out of their way to give me a ride to ATTEMPT to get my laps in. ALL HAIL DERBY.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 08:51:09 +0000