tangentiality: To the Anon who wants to start skating: I started at 11, and am now 18. Skating was a refuge for me in highschool, something completely outside of academics, and where I had better friends than I ever had at school. It gave me confidence, and helped me be more comfortable with my body and with who I am. I went from being terribly awkward to confidently skating a pretty risky Burlesque number. I never thought I was athletic before I started skating. It quite literally changed my life.