Being possibly a few weeks from my evals, it’s hard NOT to look back at the past few months. Thinking back to where it all started, I’d have to say that the Navy was overall responsible for my derby obsession. Being in the military is hard enough, but being a nuclear trained mechanic is enough to make a person lose their mind (and I know this from having personally seen quite a few friends and colleagues be discharged for emotional instability). Not terribly long ago, I’d been regularly seeing our Psych, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Without getting all personal and crazy, he basically said that I NEEDED to find something for ME. Something that I’ll love to do, that can be mine, and that I didn’t copy or take from someone else. Something that can help me escape from my nerves/anxiety/emotions and relieve my stress. As if the angels heard his words, the NEXT DAY Zanna messaged me on Myspace. “Derby?” I’m thinking. “This stuff is for real?” If you’ve ever had a “feeling” about something, you know what was sitting in the pit of my stomach, BEGGING me to check it out.
photo: Nieto Photography
A few days later, I dragged my sister out of her apartment and made her come with me to watch. It felt as if I’d been waiting my whole life for that moment. I was giddy, excited and immediately enthralled. I was determined to find out more. I talked to Hofosho, T.Rex Ya Face, and Frankendoll for a little while that first night and their sincerity, excitement and dedication were contagious. From there, it was scraping finances and digging through ebay/craigslist ads to find a means and way for gear. I sat on the floor at too many practices, becoming more and more impatient, talking poor T.Rex’s ear off. I wanted to be everything these girls were, namely committing to memory every move that Turbo made. Her speed and agility on the track were like a goal that I knew some day I had to reach.
When I finally had my skates and gear, and more-over when I got to do my first hitting drill, I knew I’d found my outlet. Feeling like I was flying around the rink and throwing each ounce of stress into hitting was exactly what I’d been missing from my life. I’ve gone through BMX, rock climbing, and paintball. I’ve tried bartending and bass playing. Nothing compares to the happiness and relief I get from just TRAINING to play this game. Once I started body blocking and eventually skating at advanced Thursdays, I knew that nothing else was going to compare to this; that days and nights of plans would be canceled and rearranged; that good nights of sleep were going to be sacrificed in order to keep this drugless high. My obsession was concrete.
photo: Media Unlucky
My friends and family are probably sick to death of me, because ever since that first day in December, roller derby seems to be all I can think or talk about. If you’re thinking of checking out or even trying roller derby, especially if you need some sort of hobby and/or stress relief, I’m telling you that this is the way to go. There’s no certain type of woman who’s better than the other. There’s no genre that fits more into the group than the other. This is a diverse group of amazing woman, sharing a past time that strengthens them both physically and mentally. Not only that, but you’ll find out that no amount of psychologist/therapist trips can compare to body checking a dame a few times a week!
Tales from the Fresh Meat Locker | The Ruffian | 
March 4, 2009 6:05 pm | 
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