Rollerblading!

Korrin B.

April 23, 2011 - 12:00 PM

Upper fifties weather in Eugene means it is time to break out the short shorts and bikini tops. It is tanning time. In addition, it is "do absolutely any type of outdoor activity that you can" time. Eugenians have this fabulous sense of gratitude for blue skies that I'm not sure exists anywhere else in the world. I can honestly say that I have been places where people are happy about a sunny day, but never a place where a sunny day is automatically a euphoric experience. Thank you, Eugene, for your intense appreciation of the little things.

Last Tuesday was one of these days and I was right there with everyone else. It was like some incredible miracle had come upon all of us. Good vibes were being poured down to us from the universe. I was so happy about the blue sky that I didn't even bother bringing a jacket with me when I left my house. The funny thing is that it was probably just as brisk as the day before, but somehow with blue sky it felt like it was a comfortable 70 degrees.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my day once I was done at work. It was time to bust my rollerblades back out of my closet and take them for a stroll. As soon as I got home, I grabbed my blades and my helmet and headed off to Skinner's Butte Park. When I got there, people were everywhere and they all looked so happy. The play structures were filled with happy kids and their happy parents. Happy hippie folk played hacky sack and Frisbee on the lawn. Happy bikers zipped by and happy people walked and jogged all around. I would be the happy rollerblader.

I strapped on my blades and was off. Eugene has a wonderful paved path that runs along the river. It felt great to be out there in the fresh air. I smiled at everyone I passed, of course, on account of the happiness. Little daisies covered hillsides like snow and ducks waddled about on the riverbank. Also, the neat thing about rollerblading in Eugene is that no one looks at you like you're that silly rollerblader. No, they just understand and think it's super mellow of you. I mean, if unicycles in Eugene are not given much of a second glance, rollerblades are nothing.

I rollerbladed for about an hour and when I finally got back to my car, I felt great. I was so happy that I had come outside just to pay my respect to the great blue sky! When I got back home, I felt relaxed. There is nothing like a little blue sky and little rollerblading to make everything feel a little better.