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Skating in that comfortable place

By Winter Lockett

Have you ever had a place where you could go and just feel free from all the frustrating and stressful events that occur in life, and just get away from it all?

Maybe it’s a book in which you are absolutely engulfed and don’t want to put down because just maybe the characters’ lives seem a lot better than your own. Also, a simple walk down the road to clear your mind can make you feel as if you were free from it all. Or pick up a guitar and strum away a little bit, making a song from the heart that only you can hear. There are many activities that clear the mind and escape from the drama in life.

My place, or as I know it, my safe hold, my sanctuary, is the local skating park in downtown Paris. It is hidden behind the public library and snuggled against the farmers’ food market.

When you see it, you may only see graffiti, ramps, and kids. When I see the park, I see artwork, history, and ramps that are calling to me. I also see the group of friends waiting to show me their new skating tricks.

When I throw the board down to the ground and jump on it for the ride, feeling the cool breeze hit my face and the wheels rolling over the pavement, I am suddenly free from all thoughts of job, school, and bills. It’s like time has stopped to let me enjoy these simple things. It’s one of the greatest feelings on earth.

Winter Lockett is a PJC freshman from Malvern, Ark.

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