Stepping out

I haven’t written for a few days, busy traveling to the other side of the world. I am now attending an ice-skating event in Boston where my daughter is competing. The event takes place in five rinks under one roof, in the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, a pleasant centuries-old town in a clean green landscape. The event brings together competitors, parents, friends, spectators, coaches, judges, organizers and sales people. The skaters are pushing their limits on the ice, making new friends, trading pins, and having fun.

It is a great experience for the competitors, to find out where they can do well, sometimes better than hoped, other times less than expected, or just different. Coming out onto the ice, where the entire rink is waiting just for you, is an exhilarating experience, and I see it over and over here, albeit through my own eyes of a spectator.

My own experience is of stepping out on a stage to perform with my sax. Every time it is a great moment, with both potential, expectation and vulnerability throbbing through my system. Until I let the music take over and lead its own life.

Competitive events and performances help me see myself in a different way. A close friend has discovered new dimensions in art expression by submitting art work for weekly collage and poetry challenges. I believe there is more for me to discover as well, and for everyone else too. The youngest competitor here is 3 and the oldest 81. Watching both, I saw a similar spark in their eyes. The opportunity to demonstrate their skills. The promise of reaching out to a new experience. The courage to step out and glide to stardom of the moment.