Keep On Rolling
In the late 1970s Disco Roller Skating became a thing. Skates with big rubber wheels and bright colors became the rage. One day I found a pair in my mother’s trunk when I was helping her carrying in some items.
“What’s this?” I said as I picked up the shoe box and took off the lid.
“Never mind. Just grab that bag for me.”
There were electric blue suede shoes with giant yellow wheels attached. They were fabulous and confusing.
“Why do you have roller skates?”
“I thought it would be fun.”
“Okay, but why are they still in the trunk of your car? Do you go to a roller rink?” I was confused.
At the time my mother was in her mid 50s and had never appeared to be the roller-skating type. I knew she could not ice skate as her ankles collapsed, so how were roller skates better? Maybe because they were sneakers and not lace ups?
She looked at me and her eyes were a bit sad, “I just thought it would be fun and so I leave them out here and after Nana goes to bed I come out, get them and then put them on and roll around the kitchen to get the feel of them.”
The image of my mother silently rolling back and forth in her galley kitchen late at night was arresting.
“Why after Nana goes to bed?” My grandmother lived with us until she was 103, she was only in her late 90s at this point.
“Because she’ll tell me it’s crazy. I know it is, but I just don’t what to hear her tell me that again.”
It was my turn to be sad. My mother, who was one of the most adventurous and fun-filled humans I ever met, was afraid to tell her mother something. I quietly put the skates back into their box and returned them to the trunk.
“Your secret is safe with me.” I said as I hugged her and headed for the door.
We are funny beings, we humans. Filled with bravado and fear, adventure and caution. I loved that my mother had allowed herself this small island of secret joy and was dreaming big of days flying down the sidewalk on her yellow wheels.
To this day I derive joy from the imagined vision of her slowly rolling past the kitchen window repeatedly. Her face lit up with her magical smile and her heart full of possibilities.
