When I was around 11 years old my parents bought me these roller skates.
I thought I was so cool.
I guess back then they didn’t believe in knee or elbow pads because I remember many a fall on the hard sidewalk.
I taught myself how to skate and picked it up pretty quickly. Stopping on the other hand was a whole different story. If you look at the picture above, you can see that they must not have believed in stoppers either. Someone in engineering thought, “Hey let’s make a contraption the has wheels on it but offers no way to stop. Better yet, let’s give them to children!” Oy!
So how did I stop? I’m so glad you asked. What I used to do is, if I had to stop (which eventually I did) I’d either skate full speed onto the grass and hope for the best or sometimes I’d use the side of a car, sorry Mom. Other times it was handy to have someone bigger than you standing by. The key is to not tell them you are going to use them as a stopping point. LOL!
Also notice that these were OUTDOOR skates. This was obviously thought of by a parent who thought that pointing this out was more important than putting stoppers on them.
All this for a bargain price of $17.99.
So why did I keep the box all these years? I dunno! The skates have been long gone. But now the box is too. Yes, in my urge to purge and simplify, I’ve gotten rid of my box, but the memory lives on in my mind and now in yours! So be sure to remember in case I forget.
HAVE A FABULOUS DAY!
Oh, the memories relived during a "purging"! As silly as it seems to hang onto these "things", they really do serve to jog our memories of things we have pushed to the very back corners of our minds. What about smells---do they remind you of years gone by? I have kept a couple of my mother's fragrance. Every so often I just smell it and it's like she is here again. She's been with Jesus for 9 years now.
ReplyDeleteWow, I remember these. I was so excited the year I found them under the Christmas tree. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteI never was fortunate enough to get a new pair, but I inherited my Mom's. Only problem, hers had wooden wheels. When I wore the inside wheels out from crossing over they had to go into the garbage. Nobody was selling wooden wheels, and it didn't occur to us to buy the new-fangled ones. You are SO right about stopping! I used all your techniques.
ReplyDeleteI love to roller skate! Isn't it amazing the things you remember when you start sorting and organizing the "old stuff"?
ReplyDeleteAmitiés,
Angela
ParisienneFarmgirl.com
You are so right! There were no stoppers on skates when I was a kid. We had the all metal ones with keys and adjustable to go on the bottom of your shoes. And there was no protective equipment either!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great memory to share:-)
ReplyDeleteOMG I had some of these tooo!! Same exact ones! I did have a break(stopper) on the front though. Man, I just went back to the rink, doing the shuffle :) backwards skating...OH YA!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT
Girls speed skate rocked at the rink as well as having or going to skating birthday parties!!!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! Flashback.. I had a pair likes this!! So funny..
ReplyDeleteI'm purging boxes too.. I'm thinking if we get rid of them all.. we won't move again.. fingers crossed.. LOL
I was never cool enough to have these - LOL! We had some metal things that went on the bottom of our shoes but the wheels were metal too and didn't skate very well. And I never could get the hang of skating at the rink - only went a handful of times.
ReplyDeleteBig so-glad-you're-sharing-the-flashbacks-through-your-purging size hugs to you! Have a great day my friend! Love ya!
THANKS A LOT for conjuring up nostalgic feelings!! Furthermore, I feel like a 9 year old in a not so 9 year old body today! ( ;
ReplyDeleteI had white skates with neon orange wheels but minus the pom poms.....
A classmate's family owned the local rink.....she had way cool skates with pom poms and rainbow color wheels and stoppers. Her family got the latest and greatest for her. She even was a roller dance competitor and wore amazing costumes for competition. I grew up in a smallish town.....It didn't take much to "WOW" us locals!
I think the funnest funniest part of skating was going to the bathroom or playing pinball or pool with skates on.
Who could ever forget how funky your legs and feet felt after skating for 2 hours, and then you put your street shoes on....only to feel like you shrunk into a midget!!!?? For me it would have been grasshopper size since I'm vertically challenged!
LOL...I'll help you remember! I'm jealous... all I ever had were those metal ones you strap onto your shoes, lol
ReplyDeleteWow, what a flashback. I had the same box of skates. I remember skating outside from my garage down the driveway and back again. Great memories.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Diane