If you want to roll with me,

you need to wear your quad skates. No inline skates allowed.

It has been at least twelve or thirteen years since I have worn roller skates. The desire to be happy and healthy has brought back activities that were history to me. All of the things I really enjoyed when I was younger, I stopped doing for one reason or another. With skating, it was probably the shyness and self-conscious focus of the teenage girl that ended my love affair with skating. That and growing up and apart from my best friend and neighbors. (We made up skate routines after watching stupid movies like 'Roller Boogie' and then 'Xanadu.') I remember spending most of my childhood on skates. I even had the metal skates when I first started school. Later, I got the sneaker skates for Christmas and froze my ass off trying them out in the frigid Pennsylvania air in December. Rollerama was the cool hangout and where elementary girls and boys 'hooked' up. There were no sixth grade dances for me. It was trips to Rollerama & couple skates. I even celebrated a birthday at the rink.

On Saturday, I took my son skating at Skateland (or Skateworld). All the sights and sounds took me back to that time when I was confident, free, and wore those Sergio Valente's with the lavendar stitching. I was much more shaky than when I was younger, but I enjoyed it just as much. They had the fog, the colored lights, some of the same music, and even the Hokey Pokey. The only thing missing was the AC/DC. I will have to remember to request it next trip.