Poseidon on Ice

Dear Sage, A couple weeks back, we went skating. You've been teasing me bec. I always stay away from the ice when you skate. I even let somebody else teach you (and Sabine) how to skate. My knees were buckling when I first stepped on the rink. The first few minutes were spent just beside the railings to break my fall-- just in case I did.

Then you skated by my side and started calling me BIG TUMMY in front of all those people. You also added that Sabine skates better than me. Then you told me to lose the railings and to go to the middle of the rink... I had no choice so I let myself be goaded away from my "life line", the railings, and skate with you to the middle of the rink.

You taught me how to balance while I'm on Ice skates.

When I was a boy, hot-tempered (nung araw) I tried roller skating one summer morning. I landed on my butt so many times I ended up throwing those damn skates away and picking up a fight with the guy who rented me those pair of rollers.

That's why I have always feared skating. Thank God you were there that afternoon to give me the inspiration to conquer my fear, Sage.

The Skating rink looked like a Frozen lake (okay, it's not that big But from my point of view, it is a sizeable part of Poseidon's domain). It's a place meant for graceful swans who glide with grace. When you and I finally decided to call it a day, I realized I didn't fall while learning to skate. Not even ONCE. That's why when we were finally off the Ice I looked back and said to myself, paraphrasing that costner movie where he pitched the perfect game against the Yankees in their stadium: "... and the cathedral for graceful swans belongs to a clueless dodo".

Thank YOU SAGE! I've been to the Rockefeller Institute twice in my life. On my third trip to that city, whenever that will be only God knows, I'll finally be able to suck in enough gut to skate on that rink beneath the gaze of Prometheus.