Monday Moanings - February 24, 2014

Hanging up my jersey

courtesy of the Canadian Olympic Team

After 17 days of thrills and spills, passion and power, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia have come to an end. There were a few glitches - all typical of an undertaking of this magnitude - and not one of the much touted, frightening scenarios materialised. I suppose there may be some out there in the big bad world who are disappointed by the lack of extremist explosions, but I along with most of the world I believe, am most grateful for the peacefulness. Vladimir Putin and company put on a good show, and for that too we are all grateful. The athletes put too much effort and sacrifice into preparing for the Olympics to have them sabotaged by shoddy venues and organisation.

The Sochi Games were a success! Perfect? No, of course not, but well done.
Thank you Sochi.
Thank you Russia.
Thank you to all who participated.
Thank you to the entire Canadian Olympic Team for giving your best;
for living out not just your dreams but my Olympic dreams too,
and for making us all so proud to be Canadian.

courtesy of the Canadian Olympic Team

Now all that remains is for me to hang up my Team Canada jersey ... or not ... I think I'll wear it a few more times this week, this month, this year. It just feels that good!

(But is it okay now to hang up "We Are Winter" and put on something warmer, like We Are Spring? Just wondering...)

©2014 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - February 10, 2014

Hockey Dreams

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to play hockey. She dreamt about stick handling her way down the right wing, closing in on the net, then a quick wrist snap puts the puck in the top left corner It's all one fluid movement and she nails it every time. That's the way it is with dreams.

Reality told a different story. It was the 1960's, the time before helmets and face masks. Little girls were not supposed to like hockey let alone play. More than that, girls were not allowed to play hockey. And no wonder - girls skates, those bright white figure skates with the sharp picks at the front, were not made for hockey. The little girl struggled in too narrow skates, hand-me-downs from a sister who skated perfectly through turns and twists, forwards and backwards. She never mastered the task, defeated by those blasted picks that dug into the ice and sent her down too hard, too often. The laughter and taunts from the sidelines didn't help.

The best Christmas ever delivered an official hockey sweater of the Chicago Blackhawks, CCM gloves and a Titan hockey stick. The dream lived on. Her father, cutting up the ice in speed and wide turns, encouraged the dream. The mother tolerated the dream, taking all this hockey stuff in her stride for the most part, but she drew the line when the father suggested buying boys' tube skates. It was a bridge too far for the mother of the not so girly daughter.

No matter, out on the winter street, hard packed with snow, the neighbourhood boys always needed an extra player and the little girl was always dressed and ready to go in sweater, gloves, stick and boots. Living the dream.

The years passed and girl grew and the boys grew and soon wanted nothing to do with the hockey girl who couldn't skate. She settled for Hockey Night in Canada to satisfy her desire, but mostly the dream fell asleep, and thirty years slipped by...

1998 - The Women broke onto the ice hockey scene at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan.  A little girl's dream tucked inside a gown woman, stirred and stretched. Oh to have been born in the 70's instead of the 50's.

****************************

It's 2014 and though I have no stick, no gloves and still no skates, I've got my official hockey jersey and  my heart skates along with Wickenheiser, Apps, Hefford, Johnston and all the rest.


She shoots! She scores!
The dream is alive again.
Go Canada, Go!





Story ©2014 April Hoeller