Community Involvement

My own personal walden

So what is my place of peace, Where is the place I can feel free from all of worlds sorrows and mishappenings. For Thoreau, Walden Pond was an idyllic retreat of peace and solitude, and many people travel there to try to capture the feelings that he described. I believe that everyone has their own personal Walden Pond. For the last 17 years its been a place i constantly visit, maybe not in the same city nor in the same country for that matter. Nevertheless, Its something I can call my home away from home. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or simply worn out i visit this place. It’s where I feel the most comfortable; where I can always be myself, no matter how cheesy that may sound. It’s just perfect to the smallest detail for me.

It was 1995 when I first strapped on those skates, I found my home. My first locker room was no bigger than a typical dorm room, the bench where I first sat on was nearly falling to pieces. Gear that had been passed down from brothers,relatives and friends. I didn’t know any different and felt privileged to enjoy those moments in the rink while growing up. I can remember as a child borrowing sticks and pucks from my brothers and preferring them instead of action figures and cartoons. I remember times sitting in the cold mist on the bleachers with my dad. There before me, unrevealed a new grand world. Partially created by me, others from the imagery I pictured in my mind. My mom has always been puzzled how I can find any harmony there since I couldn’t find any sense of calm outside of it. It was easy to be still when plays on plays unraveled inside of my mind. I can still hear my fathers voice echo through the empty halls reciting and telling stories of many different players and their success, especially Börje Salming and I thought about living life for the real experience of what it could teach me.

Now when I’m an adult I treasure all of the unpleasant and snowy moments with my dad. The hour long changing from...