Today I was talking to a friend about how we loved to watch Roller Derby when we were little kids. We reminisced about sitting in front of the television, with family, cheering on our team the Los Angeles Thunderbirds.
For those who were not fans of the “sport”, the rules were simply to roller-skate around an oval track as you try to overcome, beat on, and surpass the opposing team to accrue points. All points could only be attained during the “jam”, the term used for the active attempt to score. At times, skaters would actually “call-off” the jam when the threat of elbows and fists to the head seemed too severe. The fun part of Roller Derby was that most of the action seemed to take place off the field of play, as benched players would resort to treachery to disable the opponent and thus win the match. The “good-guys”, of course, never had to resort to cheating to win.
Believe it or not, Roller Derby made for some exciting Tuesday nights.
If I were completely honest, I would admit that at times I am tempted to call-off the jam. Some days, like today, I feel as if I’m getting beat on. Some days, like today, life seems to be going in circles. All I see in front of me is the intimidating presence of my foe, and trying to get past the opposition only means more vicious blows to come.
The Roller Derby illustration will never be accused of being too poetically profound. But at times, neither will life.
Don’t give up, don’t call-off the jam.
