Winter sport
Two things (words) I'm not fond of: winter and sport.
I try to remember how long ago it has been I liked winters, I didn't feel cold but I can't remember.
I know as a three-year-old I was already ice skating, I did make a snowman and snowballs and had a sledge but Winter and don't match. Ice skating on the lake, the canal and as a teenager the soccer field (that field was flooded by the fire brigade and there was music) all had their charm and reminded me of the old school records of winter fun.
As a child on the lake near the castle where the whole village went. Those who could not skate held on to a kitchen chair or skated hand in hand in a long line across the ice. A chain of happy people and children, when do you still see that?
Maybe my skates didn't hurt back then and I didn't have cold feet? That could well be because those skates were tied under one's own boots.
The figure skates I got later always hurt and my feet were freezing cold.
As a little child, I already suffered from chilblains and my hands were always cold. Sore fingers from being outside. My knitted mittens were too thin and wet from the snow. When they were left to dry on the radiator, they became rock hard and did not smell well.
Sledging... it is difficult on your own and there were no hills to slide down. The pavement was cleaned by everyone and then sprinkled with salt.
I can't remember a white Christmas, except perhaps on TV.
Going on winter sport? I don't think that was in vogue back then. Why should one, when there is enough to do in one's own country? The Eleven Cities Tour, a skating tour, was something everyone looked forward to.
Once upon a time, the country was sporty. We had walking clubs, we skated, cycled and swam our asses off. We also swam in the canal and river. No, we never got hurt and we didn't drown in large numbers, even though a swimming certificate at the age of four was certainly not normal in those days.
We lived life to the full, no matter how many times we fell off our bicycles, went down on the ice or went under while swimming. We climbed trees, dogs ran free in the street and we chatted with strangers and neighbours. Toys were made of tin, lead was in the paint and as a child, you had a pocket knife without anyone thinking that you would hurt yourself or stab someone with it. At seven years old, you could cook, make your bed, peel potatoes, knit, darn socks and iron. Life was not seen as one big danger to be avoided.
Sport... I never really liked it. Sunday evening my father watching sport on the telly was more than just boring except when there was a boxing match. I was forced hiking on Saturdays, forced to join gymnastics and forced to swim. If you are forced the fun in doing it is gone. I could never walk without pain and till today my feet and hands are still cold.
In secondary school, I was in the cycling group for a while. I also took part in the four-day evening cycle event (better than walking four days in a row, which I also did with the walking club). I would have liked to learn crossbow shooting, but when I discovered that, I could hardly lift a cup anymore.
I don't think I'm very sporty, although there are sports that I liked and once could do, like cycling, basketball, hockey and dancing. I just don't like the everyday, always the same sport that you get over and over again at school. Football (soccer), running around and handball. Only for six months I had an amazing sports teacher who really did all kinds of sports with us, from jazz ballet to javelin throwing.
