This summer my children and I began to really enjoy roller skating together. After visiting the roller rink a few times, I even bought a pair of skates for my daughter and a pair for me so we can skate in our neighborhood together while the boys are in school.
Each time I lace up my skates, I can’t help but think back to my fifth grade year… and a few years after that.
My friend Tania attended boarding school in England and brought Rachel, a friend from school, home with her to the States for a school break. Tania’s mom suggested we take Rachel roller skating with us so she could see what American kids do.
“Roller skating?,” I remember thinking. “We don’t roller skate anymore. That’s for little kids.”
We didn’t want to hurt her mom’s feelings, though, so we invited another friend and the four of us were dropped off at Dairy Ashford Roller Rink.
We walked into the dark building and were greeted by the blast of cool air conditioning and loud music.
We rented our skates, hobbled onto the floor and then began to glide to the music, around and around the rink.
Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper and Kool and the Gang sang to us, among others. The disco ball reflected lights all around as we hokey-pokied, raced and just skated around and around and around. We met kids from other schools and experienced freedom for two hours as we giggled, used our allowances to buy snacks and drinks, and yes, even couple skated with four boys… one of which is now married to another one of my friends by pure coincidence.
Even after Tania and Rachel returned to England, I continued to go roller skating with friends for a few years. I guess I decided roller skating wasn’t just for little kids as I had thought. I would write letters to Tania about the people we met, the speed skating classes I took and the status of the four boys we met that first night. One of them had moved to attend my school the next year and we remained friends for quite some time.
This summer, as I re-entered the rink with my kids, I was greeted with the same carpet-covered walls, ‘No Chewing Gum’ signs and snow-cones I remembered as a child. Even some of the music was the same, mixed in with more modern stuff and even some Contemporary Christian tunes as well. No, it is not the same roller rink. And yet it is. Are they all like that?
I hope my children enjoy the same sort of safe freedoms there in the years to come as I experienced. I hope they enjoy skating fast with the wind flying through their hair, deciding what toys and snacks to buy with their allowance, singing and dancing to the music while laughing with friends. I don’t know about that couple skating, though. For now my boys couple skate with me and I relish that special skate I take with each.
Ahhhh. Good times at the roller rink.
“Celebrate good times, COME ON!”
What memory are you celebrating this week? Link up and let us know or leave a comment so we can reminisce with you.
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