Once upon a time, I lived in Houston and went to daycare.  In hindsight I have to figure that it was a pretty cool daycare because we often went to the roller rink after school.  Most of my memories of that time are vague, because I was pretty young.  I do remember a battle over spinach, and to this day I do not eat greens that have been canned or cooked beyond recognition.  Bygones.

I remember the roller rink.  It was dark.  It was huge.  There was a tiny little circle off to the side for the beginners and children to stay in until they mastered the art of roller skating.  Fortunately I caught on quickly enough to not be doomed to the little circle for long.  I certainly was not a graceful or athletic child, so I can only figure practice made perfect!

What I remember most is the music.  Isn’t that how life is?  I remember riding in my mom’s Camaro and hearing REO Speedwagon.  Actually seeing them in concert not too long ago was a bit mind boggling, but the cheap ticket price helped.

I remember “I Love Rock and Roll”! the most.  To this day I love that Joan Jett song even if I don’t really remember a song costing a dime on the jukebox.  “Bette Davis Eyes”.  That’s another that I hear and totally makes me think “roller rink.”  Working as a waitress in a cocktail bar?  Ditto.  It was Jordache jeans and duffle bag purses with unicorns on them.  Boys in the school yard with Tron shirts that boggled my mind.  Little did I know I would end up married to one!

Linus was invited to a skating party recently.  Normally Daddy does birthday party duty, but this was one I HAD to take.  Laundry could wait, Mommy wanted to roller skate!

I was a bit afraid.  I blew out my knees in college, and my hips haven’t been happy with me in my thirties. I promised myself I would step outside my hermit box though.

Put another dime in the jukebox, baby!  I was in!

Some moms, well, it was THEIR roller rink.  “It hasn’t changed a bit!”  they exclaimed.  I am still not sure if that is a good or bad thing.  The girl who gave me my skates surely wasn’t going to card me for anything, but she didn’t look old enough to buy gas.

I did get my groove back.  I wasn’t skating backward or anything, but I skated.  I didn’t fall down either!  Yay me!  BUT….

Life on the polished wood floor  is different 30 years later.  For one thing, the music sucks.  The two songs I recognized were not ones I would approve for kids.  Unless binge drinking and casual sex is okay for most 6- 7 year olds.   Last Friday Night?  Glad you had fun, Katy, but mine involved America’s Funniest Home Videos and falling asleep while watching Contagion.  I am still cringing from my son repeating Lady Gaga’s fondness for a disco stick from my “Cleaning Day Playlist”.  Let’s not make it worse, okay?

It was also reminder that I am getting older.  Sure, pushing 36 isn’t OLD, but I have been telling myself that those strands in my eyebrows are very blond and not white for quite some time.  I feel hungover when I stay up until 11 PM.  It didn’t help that I had a last minute call from my husband that boiled down to “for the love of GOD don’t break a bone, ok?”  It stinks that he had a point.

I think the worst part for me was seeing kids fall, cling to the wall, and I wanted to HELP them.  The mom in me just wanted to say “are you ok?  Do you need help?”  When I finally did ask, the kid literally crawled away from me.

That is when I knew I was old.

I took my skates off.  I turned them in before I hurt myself to the point where I was useless for 8 or more weeks.

I listened to more crappy music.

My son was oblivious.  He skated for 30 minutes and then joined the “boys staring at the arcade games” brigade.  They stand against the moms who won’t cough up quarters.

I had a great time, but I realized that some things are just more fun when you are a kid.  And you heal faster.

It doesn’t mean I am not going to sing at the top of my lungs when I hear “Bette David Eyes” on the radio though.  Sorry, kids!