Remembering the Roller Rink

So tonight some friends and I went to the ol' Champs roller rink. Actually, it's the new Champs roller rink and I haven't been roller skating in quite some time. Since I started teaching I've had the luxury of going with our school once a month, under the guise of "involved and caring teacher," but really I'm just there because I think roller skating might be one of my favorite activities in the world! I remember when I was really little, I'm talking maybe five or six, and I got my first pair of roller skates. They were white with pink wheels and I felt like the coolest kid in school. My brother got a pair too (but not pink) and we skated around the basement for HOURS.

When we were in grade school and middle school, we used to go to RECA roller rink once a month with our school. My brother is a year and a half younger than me, but he was always so much cooler than I ever was. RECA roller rink is where all the drama of pre-teen life unfolded like the pages of a soap opera script. Girls would cry, boys would cuss, ahhhh, those were the days. As I was skating around the rink tonight, gaping at all the prepubescent socialites, I remembered that my most embarassing moment happened at a roller rink and I'll never forget it.

I was chasing my brother's friend Robbie around all night. We were playing that really cool game where I stole his hat and he stole it back, then I stole it again and so on. Finally, my girlfriends and I were sitting along the side of the rink, holding out our hands, waiting for Robbie, my brother, and the gang of boys to skate by and show us some love. I had Robbie's hat on and as he came whizzing by, he snatched it right off my head and laughed. I would not stand for such an insult, so I jumped onto the rink and started chasing after Robbie as fast as my little skates could fly. Then, in an instant...I was on the ground and seeing stars.

I had no idea what just happened, but I opened my eyes and all the lights were on, the teenage workers in the yellow jackets were standing over me, there was no one else on the floor, and a long, white, PVC pole was propped against the railing. It occured to me that I just fell down during the all boys limbo skate! Not only did I fall down, but I was clothes-lined by the pole and knocked out for a couple seconds. I, of couse, did not know it was the all boys limbo skate and I was skating fast! When I came to, everyone was staring and the teenage workers in the yellow jackets asked me if I was okay, then they asked me what I was doing on the floor during the all boys limbo skate.

I told them I was trying to catch my brother (lie)...because our mom was coming to pick us up (lie) and he had to get his shoes on right away or she'd leave us there (lie again). No one bought it. My brother was horrified. Robbie was laughing. I've never been so humiliated in my life!

I've said before that it's impossible to embarass me. It's true. Nothing will ever be as bad as that day. I don't care if you strip me naked and parade me around the circus tent, nothing can be as humiliating as my thirteen year old self getting clothse-lined by the limbo pole during the all boys limbo skate. Nothing. And I'm glad.