The Roller Rink

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The social event in North Collins when I was in the 7th and 8th grades was most certainly:

Roller skating at the American Legion!!!

I saw a photo of a pair of woman's roller skates on Twitter and my mind clicked back.

Probably because I wore woman's roller skates to those Friday night events.

My cousin Carol had passed her roller skates down to me and I was happy to have them!

The female version of roller skates being that they lace up higher. Once I pulled the jean legs over them no one actually knew that I was wearing women's skates.

I used to go to a secluded area to take them on or off.

And I was an okay skater.

Which is all you have to be really...just don't fall down when your brother rolls by and punches you.

But what I most remember about those nights was the music:

Silly Love Songs by McCartney...

...I used to love when that song came up and through the speakers.

I remember the Paul Simon song 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover too.

Who couldn't skate to:

Hop Off the Bus, Gus...No Need to Discuss Much. Just Drop Off the Key, Lee and Set Yourself Free.

Of course the pressure was on as well.

What girl did you skate with for the couples skate?

I must admit...

...I spent some of those couples skates on the sidelines looking at the idiot that was skating with the girl I liked.

But like they say:

Even a blind squirrel.

I got lucky once in awhile and I'd take the hand of the girl who I had even a little crush on...

...and we'd skate around as the music blared over head.

And I'd think of being really nervous and wonder if my hand was sweating.

Skating isn't real conducive to talk so I couldn't baffle the girl with my bullshit...

...we'd mostly look and smile.

And then one of my brothers or one of my friends would race up behind me and kick my left skate into my right skate...

...and I'd head for the corner boards.

Knowing, even before I met the ground...

that next week...

...I'd be sitting out the couples skate.

But those are fond memories to be sure.

Back when we could pretend that we could stop the world with a silly love song.

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