I went roller skating with a new friend and we went to Skate America in Grove City, Ohio. Until entering the establishment, I had no idea that I had been there before as a child. I recognized the place as soon as I stepped inside, it was hard not to as the place hadn’t changed at all.

I was feeling good about skating after a fifteen year timeout but I also knew I was never brilliant at it before. I couldn’t do tricks but I could stay on my feet. I’ve never fallen while ice skating nor while roller skating before and I didn’t want to end the streak. Let me tell you, when I stepped onto that small floor…I was humbled.

My shins were aching, my back was aching, and my hands were in a permanent state of “grab ass”. I must have looked quite a sight because a young teenage girl came up and asked if I was okay because I looked quite startled.

My friend, who downplayed her skill in roller skating, was doing pretty well and I started to get more comfortable as time passed. I was doing the “whip” and the “naenae” to the DJ’s beat and loving it. An hour and a half into our three hour time slot, I wiped out. I was skating along, nothing too fancy, and boom! I was on the floor with a sore arm, sore coccyx, and a sore pride.

After taking a moment to sit, I jumped right back in because that is what you do when you get hurt, you go again so you don’t become scared of it for life. Needless to say, we didn’t make it until ten because we were sore from muscles not used in a while.

I already want to go back but let me tell you, I was feeling that fall for days so I might have to wait and let my twenty-seven year old body lose the rust.