While I had been tempted in earlier efforts to give up the sport forever, fast forward to today, at least until this winter, which has been punctuated by tremendous snowfalls followed by climate change proportioned thaws that then melt all the snow.
My wife, tired by my bitching about the winter, and a hockey player in her own right, laid down the law and insisted I join one of the pick-up games that several of my friends partake in every Sunday. She did not even give me the opportunity to object, but just called my friend Steve and explained the situation.
Steve showed up at my house with a couple of pairs of his extra skates to try on. I tried not to let them fit, but a pair of his Bauer Vapor X skates hugged my heels and ankles perfectly, so I was not going to be able to manoeuvre an escape.
For his part, Steve, who had been a bit of a hockey star in his youth, tried to alleviate my trepidation by noting that that if I had skated as a kid it would come back to me like riding a bike. I didn’t bother to mention that any skating I had done in my youth was chair assisted, and off we went to the pond where he gave me a refresher course prior to the arrival of the other pick-up players.