Growing up, roller skating rinks were all the rage. They went along very well with the disco scene, neon clothes, poofy hair, and rock music of the 1980s. I can remember several friends having birthday parties at roller skating rinks. I also owned at least two pairs of skates in my childhood. I skated well enough. No fancy tricks, but I didn’t fall down either.
As a teenager, our church would go to “Christian” skate night every other month or so. That was fun – a time to skate with people you knew. But we moved away from that church when I was 14. I don’t recall putting on a pair of skates again until I was 26 year old.
Honestly, having skate night during staff week at Camp Ridgecrest was probably a thing for two reasons: 1) tradition, which camps are all about, and 2) those making the decisions were my age and it was nostalgic. Certainly the college kids I worked alongside didn’t remember disco balls, neon clothes, or rolling up your baggy jeans. For while most of them had been born in the 1980s, they were too young to remember that decade. A trip to the skating rink as they grew up in the 1990s would have been rare. A few of them had never been on skates. And while it’s like riding a bike, I have to say I don’t remember an hour of skating hurting quite so much afterwards!
So, I nostalgically skated again the summers I was 26 and 27, but I have not put on a pair of skates since. This past summer Emry took on a sudden interest when a friend of the girl next door would be over, skates always in hand. Emry and I negotiated a deal on purchasing her a pair of skates and then the girl next door got a pair as well. Their styles are very different. Ava takes on skating all limbs flying and lots of landing on her backside. Emry takes on skates with a heavy dose of cautiousness and the desire to not fall at all. It’s taken her a while to get decent at skating, but at least I don’t have to worry about lots of holes in her pants from tumbles.
With skating being “the thing”, Ava had her 6thbirthday this weekend at the local skating rink. I have not been to a skating rink in 14 years, but I’d have to say they are now more like the ones I remember in the 1980s than the one I went to in 2007. Neon lights, disco balls, and even some of the clothing has returned with full vengeance. Almost like a bad dream on constant replay.
Emry loved the skating rink. She loved how smooth the floor was compared the neighborhood sidewalk. She took to it easily and enjoyed her time there. His first time on skates, Ethan was less excited although quite willing to try until he discovered how slippery the rink is. Now they have “bumpers” kids can skate with, PVC pipe things on coaster wheels a kid can push along as they skate. He tried that and was okay, but once he discovered the arcade games….well, he didn’t do a whole lot of skating. As for me, I didn’t put on any skates. Had I been feeling more myself instead of coming off some flulike bug, perhaps I would have. I’ve always enjoyed skating. But the rink itself? Neon lights and rocky music was probably great as a kid, if I even noticed. Now? Well, let’s just say my kids won’t be having birthday parties at a skating rink!
Ethan trying skates out.
Emry zooming around.
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