So the wife and daughter went on a mother-daughter outing yesterday to the Skate City. After, my daughter runs in to tell me how "mommy fell only a few hundred times" and how she is "totally a good skater." To which I believe it all - both statements. One, the wife is sporting a few hum dinger of bruises on her knees. Two, my daughter never tells a lie. Unless she's trying to get a new pair of skinny jeans from Justice. (story for another time) My daughter tells me the whole tale from their two hours of skating. The only question I could think to ask, "was there a couple only skate?" To which she replied, "No, Dad."
Remember, back when the last week of school was for having fun? Making crafts. Going on field trips to the zoo? Or having parties? with cup cakes? Those were the days of early Grade School. Not anymore. Times change I guess. Budget shortfalls hamper the fun stuff. But I remember that the last week at Valley View in the third grade meant going to the Skating Rink! I don't remember the name of the rink but I do recall smell of the burnt popcorn, the beeps and boops of the Galaga machine in the corner, the disco ball and anticipating and fearing the couples only skate.
Before that time, we (the dudes - CB and SM) would empress both guys and girls alike with daring stunts. Who could skate backwards? Who could skate faster? Who could skate the longest without face planting?
Most of the time it was just us skating in circles to I Love Rock N' Roll by Joan Jett or watching the cute girls skate as Centerfold played by J Geils Band. We (the dudes) dared one another to skate up to one of the girls and purposely run into them. Bonus points if we knocked them down. It wasn't to be malicious or reckless. It was just our way (int those prepubescent years) of getting close to the girls we all admired from afar yet thought of us as dorks and icky boys. I look back now and still get a bit of the shaky knees thinking of knocking EF down. I realize now how childish it was. I do regret it. Yet, I can still feel the nervousness of that moment. Apologizing with utmost sincerity and helping her back up. Taking her hand into mine. Knowing that in a half an hour the dreaded Couple Only Skate would take place and I would be parked on the bench by the foosball table. Girls like EF and SP wouldn't dream of skating with the kid with a Star Wars lunch box and a Teen Titans comic in his backpack. Or so I thought back then.
Thinking back now, I do recall skating in that Couple Only Skate. I think JS grabbed my arm and pulled me into the rink. Perhaps she felt sorry for me. Or maybe she liked dorky boys. Once the fear and anxiety left, it was kinda cool. The dreams of EF or SP doing the same thing next year never happened but I was happy at that moment - in those days. Disco ball casting flickers of light along the floor and walls. Girls and boys skating hand in hand. All trying to act cool. In 1980s irony, I think the song for that skate was Physical by Olivia Newton John. (Hey! it was different back then...)
