Impressions on Ice
A Note From Karen
My first real date in high school was with a guy in my ceramics class who asked me to the ice skating rink. Even though I had virtually no experience on skates, I said yes because, as a 15 year old, I also had virtually no dating experience. This guy was funny and sane and safe and, it turned out, also played ice hockey.
We showed up for group skate: what seemed like thousands of capable athletes gliding around the ice. Even the four-year-olds were nailing it. I wobbled along, gripping the hand rail, feeling increasingly embarrassed every time he had to prop me up by the elbow. He good naturedly, and oh-so-smoothly, swooped around to face me, effortlessly skating backwards as he held out his hands, "Here, hold my hands. I'll teach you."
I looked at his palms, thought of how sweaty mine were and how mortifying it would be to face plant in front of him on the cold, hard ice, and then I told him I needed the bathroom. He politely helped me off the ice and waited as I tottered to the bathroom in my skates. I stood in the stall wondering what to do and worrying about being gone too long. I flushed the toilet pointlessly and washed my hands to keep the ruse authentic. When I emerged, I announced that I was desperately thirsty. He offered to buy me a soda and the snack shack. I got a Large.
We ended up sitting on the bleachers, people watching. It was freezing and I regretted choosing the cute top instead of my sweatshirt and wondered why they put so much ice in the soda. I tried to hide my shivering and he didn't try to put his arm around me, which was a relief. We ended up having a pretty fun conversation. And then, thankfully, it was time for my mom to pick me up.
He was cool about it the next day in class, but there was no second date.
Funnily enough, when I was plotting Les and Tara's date, I didn't send them to an ice rink. I sent them rock climbing — which happens to be something I've recently taken up myself, at a gym, with my sister-in-law Hannah and my husband Jason. Luckily, I don't have anyone I'm trying to impress. If my hands sweat, I have chalk. And if I do fall, I'm caught well before I hit the hard cold ice.
