I had really not spent much time pondering the condtitions. And I feel some shame. How could I have let my daughter...no, her entire peer group, down? Why didn't I pass the torch?
I don't think I even lit the torch.
The torch of Roller Skating.
Our family attended a birthday party for our sweet 6-year-old cousin this weekend. It was a skating party. At a Roller Rink. Wheels -N- Motion, to be exact.
Pause. I must make a few observations about the Wheels -N- Motion before I can continue.
I feel pretty confident in saying that the Wheels -N- Motion has not had any improvements since its opening in 1978. It was as if my 6th grade year was frozen in time. I think that is a little weird.
And it is not because they were spending all their money on heat. If you are planning a party at the Wheels -N- Motion in the winter, my suggestion would be that you not schedule the first party of the day. As the heat is turned off at night. And it was 17 degrees outside. So it was a little chilly upon arrival.
Also, if you are, like, a teenager wanting a job where you sit and pretty much do nothing...you might want to try the Wheels -N- Motion.
But bring your coat.
Ok. Back to the collapse of my legacy.
Kids today are evidentally uneducated in the skills of roller skating. I know we've got Roller Blades and Healeys and such, but those are just a poor substitute for the real thing.
I had not strapped on a pair in 20 years, but my mad skills came right back. Well, maybe not right back. (There may be a few people reading this that were there so I feel I must back off my big talk.) But I did have mad skills. It took a few times around before I was confident that I could lean back on my back wheels without falling on my rump. And I didn't do my super duper spin move until I was presented with the choice of tripping over a small child or rock my move. But...kids today?
Not so good.
There were a few kids that brought their own roller blades, but all in all? Not a generation of skaters. In fact, the sweet birthday girl made a total of 3 laps.
They aired up the jumpy for a while and that briefly kept the kids' attention. The jumpy was in the middle of the rink. And was later deflated by the above mentioned teenager and left in the middle of the rink. Not a course hazard at all, dude.
The real fun came when the dude brought out the plasma cars for the kids. All of the kids ditched the skates and grabbed a car. So it was really easy to dodge 15 out of control kids and dodge the deflated bouncer and still have mad moves.
The King could barely walk this morning because his legs hurt.
I'm not sure if that makes me proud or if it embarrasses me.
But then I think of my mom dropping me and my friends off at the roller rink when I was in the 6th grade. We would be left for hours unattended. Now that I think about it? I'm not sure that good things were going on at the rink.
I think I just had a flashback.
Anyway. I cannot foresee me dropping The Princess and her posse at the Wheels -N- Motion for an evening, but I do think we will be having a few exercises in the discipline of mad skills.
That girl's got some big skates to fill.
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11 comments:
Oh to have been there...
Ah, yes. Combs in the back pockets. Freeze Frame on the speakers. The DJ announcing, "All skate! All skate!" And the pot heads in the bathroom. AND? The Journey video game. Oh yes. The Journey video game.
Okay we didn't have a roller rink growing up and now I feel soooo cheated!
I never learned to skate, but I want my daughter to learn. It's on my list of "things to teach Wendy before kindergarten." We'll see how that list goes.
That is great, and too funny. I love rollerskating...and, like you, recently found out that I have a few skills left, too.
Not completely at the top of my game, but it's good to know that our local rink gives $5/week lessons...:)
My boyfriend was Eddie Guitterez and we would skate with our hands in each other's back pockets. The height of romance, I tell you.
Did they even attempt a Snowball during Saturday's excursion?
Dear Skating Queen B,
Just curious, I don't ever remember leaving you unattended at a skating rink or anywhere else. Am I having a senior moment? Was this parental unit defective in the early years? You were a great skater though and REALLY wanted to be Dorothy Hammil minus the ice.
Did you see my post from DEcember...me and skating...not a good time. I was sore for a couple days myself. My kids love it now, and beg whenever we drive my Skateville.
Isn't it horrible, this generation of non-roller skaters?
My kids are the same way, a disappointment to someone who spent a great many Friday nights at the Funway Roller Rink.
Roller skating just wasn't complete without wearing a really rad pair of leg warmers. Then, of course, you needed the Journey or Queen songs playing in the background. And if I didn't have a really cool and colorful comb sticking out of the pocket of my jeans, it just didn't work.
I did a fair amount of roller skating in my day too!
Don't forget the big hair! ;)
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