What I Love(d) about Roller Derby [Wow! It’s Wednesday!]

Thanks, Gudrun, for sending me the below comic. Sadly, I wasn’t able to figure out who drew it, so that I could give proper credit. But I wanted to post it anyway, b/c it really captures the spirit of modern roller derby.

I was an original L.A. Derby Doll — I mean original-original, answered the first Craigslist ad and showed up for the very first meeting. This wasn’t because I was particularly cool or forward-thinking, but simply because I was new in town and was looking for stuff to do, people to meet. We weren’t even called “fresh meat” back then, because most of us hadn’t done anything beyond ice skating at that point or even seen a live roller derby game — not even one of the old skool variety.

However, roller derby ended up getting me through my starving artist years, nursing me through my first big break up and introducing me to both my secret inner bad-ass and my now-husband. It was the best (really random) decision I’ve ever made, and it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever quit. To this day I stand by the logic of my decision — roller derby was taking up too much of the time that I needed to commit to my writing career — but I still miss it. Man, do I miss it.