Archive for the ‘Nostalgia’ Category

He has either scored, or he is drunk.

There’s always been a tinge of jealousy in the back of my mind when I see pictures like the ones from Justin’s post on Wednesday about backyard rinks. I was raised in a land where winter was more of a myth than a seasonal reality. (I would be considered a “green” boy if George R.R. Martin took the time to attach adjectives to my self.)

No, the city I grew up in is the same one where I would pass by golfers and runners in short shorts on my way to Winter Olympic events. Vancouver actually had to cart in snow to the local mountains for freestyle skiing and snowboarding events. In the neighborhood I grew up, it was a rare occurence to see a snowman rather than a rink.

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I don't know whose backyard rink this is, but...um, wow. Pic from www.pulledmygroin.com

Hockey is at it’s purest, most true form when it’s played on ponds and in backyards. Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a climate that allows for this special treat, but for those of us that did as kids, the memories are heavy in corny nostalgia.

I certainly know we weren’t skating on rinks like the one above, and that was just fine with me (though that would’ve been wicked).

There’s something honest about working for your fun that feels good, whether it’s building the rink, shoveling the snow, or chasing the puck far beyond the area you cleared, plodding in skates through snow to find the puck that someone fired wide. Why’d that guy raise it anyway?

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