I can remember when I was in second grade, I found that my classmate Duane Vryhof lived just across the street and down by the tracks. We soon began to spend all our time together. One day Duane got a box of old stuff from his cousin. (which was a girl) In this box was some old shoe skates. Not only were they girls skates but they were both left feet. Seeing how we both wanted to skate we decided to each take one. I wore mine on my left foot but Duane couldn't skate on his left. So we skated, me with my one left foot and Duane wearing a left shoe skate on his right foot(ouch)
We skated in that car-port everyday after school. We were really flying. Duane's foot finally toughened up and he quit getting blisters from wearing that skate on the wrong foot. We both had learned to balance on just that one skate.
I can't remember how many months we skated. but it was a long time. Tulare eventually opened a skating rink over at the fairgrounds and we were liberated in to using a pair of skates! They had a left and a right and they had laces. It took us a little bit to learn how to use both feet.
My mom still lives at the same place. Across the street and down by the tracks is the place Duane used to live. The car-port is still there. The old roller derby track seems to have shrunk to 1/4 of it's size. Boy it sure looked bigger when I was 8.
I wonder.. do kids roller skate anymore? Well if they do they are probably spoiled and have a skate for their left and right foot.
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4 comments:
Jamie, this story is a testament to your resourcefulness and your ability to create your own joy regardless of limitations.
I was so touched by the image of two boys ripping around on one skate each, having a grand time, making their own rules about the definition of fun. Wonderful!
Oh Jamie, This so brought back memories to me. My girlfriend Laurel and I spent hours each day after school for months on homemade wooden roller skates that my "dad" made for us. No comfort involved, but we thought we were the coolest and were pretty sure all the kids in the neighorhood wished they had a Daddy who could make cool things.
She had a circular driveway and we would hold hands and swing each other around and around the corners. So many times, we ended up in a heap in the grass and just lay their giggling.
I took those beat up wooden skates to show and tell, and everytime they would get a new coat of paint, I would show them off again. I was so proud of them.
A few years later, Lindsay got a real skating rink and I too got "real" skates. To my suprise, I found out my daddy could skate too. It used to be the Saturday night "thing to do" while he was in the service. Geez, I remember thinking how lucky I was. He skated with ease around that rink, front and backwards and could even do tricks....lol. I was proud to place my small hands in his strong hands and skate with him like we were dancing.
Thanks for the memory!
Cute story and brought back some of memories on skates and the little driveway where I made history.
I wonder if you guys could have put your arms over each others shoulders (like can can dancers) and made one full skater out of the two halfs? :)
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