When the local news started reporting on the COVID-19 health crisis, I knew that at some point things were going to change. Slowly the realities of life were sinking in. From my own experience, it began with local store shelves not having hand sanitizers and disinfectants in stock. One day as I was leaving work, I noticed that the normally busy streets were barely populated. Later, certain industries started to close or suspend their in-person operations. Lastly, some employees from different businesses began working from home.
I knew at some point my rink would close. Because of that possibility, I wanted to skate there ONE last time. I was willing to travel on the train for that opportunity; however, on the advice of my dad, I decided not to go. Then I got an email from the rink that stated that they were “temporarily suspending operations.” The week that I received that email was the same week staggering work hours started and ended at my job. At that point, everybody had to work from home. That’s when I knew that I would not be able to skate for a while.
I knew that I was going to miss skating, but all I thought about was maintaining my muscles and flexibility. I did not realize how much I LOVE skating nor how strong my bond with the sport was until the day I had to go back into the office. My dad drove me into the city because I had to go into work. When he drove me back home, I noticed that we were driving past my skating rink’s neighborhood. That was when I realized how much I missed it. I wanted to tell him to drive me to the rink, and let me stand there and look at the building. I knew that I could not access the building, but I wanted to be physically close to it. One could say that this was when I learned that my skating is my soulmate. It is something I cannot live without.
-LynthaTye
