Gumption. It can mean practicality, common sense, or downright guts of courage.
It had been two years since our last visit to the roller-skating rink. Not much has changed. Same disco ball. Same glow-in-the-dark neon splashed carpet on the walls. They did have some new “walkers” for beginning skaters that made me laugh. The kids looked like they were practicing for a future Sr. Citizen Roller Derby!
Whoever came up with the idea of the walkers made with PVC pipe, connectors, and wheels was very wise. Whoever decided there should be an additional charge of two dollars to rent one was a genius.
One could say they had a lot of gumption. There were two more people at the skating rink that greatly impressed me with their gumption.
One was a little girl in pigtails about six years old. Her name was "Carrie." She kept falling down about every two minutes—or less. She even had the aid of one of the walkers and yet she still would slip and fall. I watched her with fascination. Most kids steadily skate around the rink. Carrie was different. Every time, she would start out pushing the walker, then, very quickly Carrie chose to do one of two things. Plan A was to become a blur as she “speed skated” as fast as she could. Pigtails flying behind her and then CRASH! She hit the floor, legs sprawling and tangling up with the walker.
If Carrie wasn’t speed skating and speed-falling, she always fell back to Plan B. Taking a few steps with the walker, she then pushed it to the side and tried to skate on her own without its assistance. Once again, Carrie met with the floor rather quickly. Only a tiny flicker of pain came across her face. She never cried out or complained. She just crawled across the floor, playing “Frogger” with the oncoming skaters. She had to crawl because she did not know how to stand up in her skates without holding onto the walker. The cute little girl clearly did not know how to skate but that didn’t stop her. As I was watching in amazement at her determination, I heard a woman’s voice behind me.
“Excuse me,” she said. Smiling and shaking her head, she added, “I never thought I’d be out here at my age. It’s been years since I’ve skated.”
“You’re braver than I am,” I said, patting her shoulder as she passed by me.
The woman looked to be in her early sixties. She was skating beside a little three-year-old girl. The little girl had the walker but if I were Grandma, I would have gotten one too! Grandma was a pretty good skater. She just inched along at a slow speed, taking pictures with her cell phone. Clearly, she was having a good time with her granddaughter.
Now me, I was cheering my son on from the sidelines. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to be out there skating with him but I’ve got neck issues. One bump from a skater or from the hard floor would put me in the bed for days. So, I took photos and cheered from the sidelines.
Several parents were walking beside their kids as they skated. My son, who isn’t too cool for his mom just yet, called for me to come walk beside him.
Just as I walked out onto the rink, a skinny little girl fish-hooked my leg and we do-si-doed for awhile before regaining our balance.
As I made my way to my son, I noticed the Grandma taking more photos with her cell phone. But this time it wasn’t of the little three-year-old. She was taking photos of the pig-tailed speed-skater girl.
I thought the Grandma must be as fascinated with this girl as I am. Then, I noticed how they were talking with one another and smiling at each other. As we drew closer to them, Cara took another spill right in front of me. I offered her a hand and pulled her up.
“You’re doing awesome!” I told her.
“Thanks!” she said with a big grin and skated off again.
I looked over at Grandma and asked her if the little pigtailed girl was hers.
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She nodded, still smiling, and said, “I never thought I’d be raising four grandchildren, but here I am.”
I conveyed to her how much I had been admiring the bravery of her granddaughter. I told her that little girl would go far in life because she never gives up and just keeps picking herself up and keeps trying. Before walking away, I added that Carrie had more gumption than anyone else did on that skating rink.
The grandmother smiled proudly and nodded as she inched away on her skates.
I only witnessed two hours of Carrie's life today but she captured my heart. I’ll probably never meet her again but I feel certain she's got a great future ahead of her.
She’s learned how to have gumption in the midst of adversity, and she’s learned it from her loving grandmother.
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