Friday Flashback

Roll With It, Baby!

Probably the greatest childhood passion of mine was rollerskating. I started skating when I was about 8 years old... it was actually by a doctor's suggestion.

I was born pigeon-toed... I wore orthopedic shoes with a brace for quite a few years. It helped the problem somewhat, but not completely. So my mom asked the doctor if he could think of anything else that might "cure me". He said... "get her in rollerskates. If her feet try to curve in, she'll end up on her nose!" Well, that may sound cruel... but it was the best advice ever.

And it was that moment that started my love affair with rollerskating.

I took to skating right away... and I found out that I was really good at it. I spent every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at the local rink, Skateland... I was hooked. I join the speed team... travelled around the state to meets... and basically ate, drank, and slept rollerskating.

There was something about being at the rink... a feeling of self-confidence... and total freedom... I was home.

I skated competitively for about six years. And after that, I would try to get to a rink as often as I could. Now, I periodically get my skates out and skate around a parking lot just for a bit of nostalgia. I definitely have lost some of my agility over the years... but my soul feels like a kid again.

I miss the sights, sounds, and smells of the rink. And to this day, a certain song can come on the radio... and I can close my eyes and be taken right back to a great of time in my life... and my heart fills with emotion. This is when I realize that rollerskating will always be a part of me... and it shaped me into who I am today.

Yes, I had a pair like this once... and no, I'm not 80 years old!

Have a great weekend!