25 DofC Day 2: Learning How To Ice Skate With Ryan John Cusack Gosling

Day 2

“Just Like Christmas” by Low

I’d really like to learn how to ice skate this winter. My mom, in her attempts to be genuinely helpful, suggested that I take lessons at our local civic center.

Which would be totally fine if I was in grade school and okay with having a teenage instructor who’s getting paid in the form of community service hours. But considering I’m a teen-plus (thanks, Mindy Kaling for that phrase!) I of course choose to think in more practical, adult-like ways.

The rink of dreams.

I mean, the art of ice-skating should be taught by a cute, witty guy you met at a coffee shop and spontaneously decided to go ice-skating with. And because he’s cute and witty and non-creepy, you go with him and aren’t afraid he’s a sociopath who will kill you—you know, things stay light-hearted and fun.  And while you’re skating, you do that, “Oh, I’m gonna fall!” but you don’t because he catches you right before it happens and you guys laugh and laugh and somehow you look around and you’re in Central Park or something, which is weird because you were just in Florida. Oh, and today’s song is playing from the sky.

You look glamorous the entire time, even when you’re being awkward, and despite the inevitable misunderstanding some time during your “getting to know you” storyline (which involves some sort of road trip through wintery beauty), you guys eventually come back together.

My boyfriend. His glasses make him witty.

Probably at that very ice skating rink where you fell in love the day it teleported you to New York. And he’s holding a mitten or something and the skating rink is empty except for you guys, because that’s absolutely possible during the peak ice-skating season, and you’re holding the other mitten even though you’re not totally sure why, and the guy is a John Cusack circa “Say Anything” and Ryan Gosling wearing-quirky-eyeglasses, hybrid. 

And then there’s a boom box involved, of course. And from the boom box, the same song plays that played from the sky that first day. And over the sound of the song and the rain that is probably falling, Ryan John Cusack Gosling says, "Hey girl, this relationship is super weird and kind of impossible because, well, a lot of things just don't make sense, but I love you. Let's ice-skate to this song while the credits roll."

It’s a completely realistic moment that’s totally unique and your own, and not at all stolen from various scenes of “Serendipity,” “Say Anything,”  generic holiday Hallmark movies and Ryan Gosling memes.

And today’s song was there every step of the way. You see, that’s what I meant when I said I wanted to learn how to ice skate.