Flashback to 1985. Ghostbusters was the blockbuster movie of the previous year and three sisters were primed for a roller-skating adventure. But there was something strange in the neighborhood…
If you’re a millennial, you might think the strange thing is the fact that a 5 year old was being baby-sat by her 10 and 12 year old sisters at a roller-rink. Good guess, but that’s not it. Siblings equaled free baby-sitting in the 80’s. Ohhhh, the 80’s.
At the roller rink, when the lights went down and the disco ball began to spin, a certain song was always played.
You guessed it…
This moment meant everything to a little sister who was trying to prove she was a big kid. Every ‘cool’ roller skater knew how to do a certain move which consisted of skating on one bent knee while the other leg was extended.
It was now or never, so I took to the rink and assumed position in the dress I’d insisted on wearing. Yes, I was wearing a dress. Yes, my sisters and Mother had tried to talk me out of it, but I just wanted to look pretty dammit! Besides, I was wearing tights. What could go wrong?
I was off! I was sure I was gliding as gracefully as one of those “Reading Rainbow” butterflies, but then I heard a rip, followed by peels of laughter one kid laughing. As I looked down I was horrified to see the Ruffles of the matching panties I’d also insisted on wearing, peeking through the hole of my torn tights. As the blood was rushing to my cheeks, hot tears were threatening to spring from my eyes, but only babies cried, so I willed myself not to sob. My resolve lasted for about 2 seconds and then I was outright wailing, like a baby.
I’m not sure how I made it from the rink to a carpeted bench, but I think I remember being air-lifted by helicopter or something as dramatically befitting to my dire situation.
What I clearly remember is the compassion of my big sisters. They were making funny faces and telling jokes, and they even bought me Reese’s Pieces with their allowance money. I thought they would use my embarrassment to call me a baby (again) but they just wanted to cheer me up. It was the first time that I’d truly felt a part of their “big girl’s club”.
After that, I roller skated practically every weekend and I got pretty good!
As I progressed, I worked my way up the roller skate totem pole…
Uggh, rentals! Rentals are for babies…
Unicorns are for babies!
Finally!
I had my first “dance” while couple-skating, and developed many crushes while at the rink. The boys were just an added bonus. By the time I was 13, I could out-skate most of them. I could criss-cross, skate backwards AND do that skating-on-one-knee maneuver.
The eighties turned into the 90’s, and WHAM! songs were now replaced by Color Me Badd and Boys 2 Men, but one thing didn’t change.
As the lights dimmed, and the disco ball began to spin, The Ghostbusters theme song always played!
Some new Ghostbusters are coming to a theater near you, and the hook is that it’s an all female-cast. That’s great! I’ll probably go see it. Just know that they’re not the first to bring Girl-power to the Ghostbusters!
Proudly girl-powering since 1985.
Please chime in with your 80’s/90’s stories.
Girl Ghost Busters! I can’t wait! Roller skating was huge. We had dance/roller blading parties and big hair. 😀
Reblogged this on For friends without borders and commented:
Remembering the 80’s. Like…totally!
I rollerskated a lot but not so much at roller rinks. I think my sister and I just put on our roller skates and stood around gossiping. It’s okay because somehow I can still rollerskate and ice skate to this day. I also heard my fair share of Ghostbusters!
Whatever works! We were only allowed to wear our skates at the rink after “the coffee table incident of 87′”. My sister was skating through the house and shattered our glass coffee table.
Oh, that’s not good! I once broke a glass coffee table…but it wasn’t accidental.
Hmmmm…Did your twin piss you off?
Husband.
Been there.
I was a junior in high school in ’85. Was never much on the roller skating thing, but did partake of the “couples skates” and the dim corners of the rink. Oh, the ’80’s! 😃
Romance at the rink! Love it. 😍
Pretty tame compared to the stuff going on now, but when they’d dim the lights,the DJ would play something like “Faithfully” by Journey, and early-teen hormones would kick in? It set a mood, ya know? 🙂
I know all right! Those love ballads got me into trouble on several occasions! I would never want to go back to high school, but I’d be tempted to travel back for a one day make out session.
Haha! I hear ya’! 🙂
Yep, roller skates and 12 year olds looking after even younger siblings pretty much sums up my 80s childhood, good times!!
The good ol’ days!
Kim! I loved this post. In the late 70/early 80’s I too was at the rink. I’m probably your older sisters age I’d guess. Your story brought back memories. Apparently every roller skating rink was the same right down to the rental skates. Good times!
I can’t skate!! I couldn’t learn 🙂 And when I remember the 80’s and what I did to my hair then, I want to run and hide… 😀
I think my use of hair products in the 80’s single-handedly destroyed the ozone layer!
And mine contaminated several rivers 😀
In 1985 I was in the fifth grade, and the Galaxy Roller rink was my hood. Ahhh, the Galaxy. I loved when they turned down the lights, and they had the black lights glowing on the murals of the solar system all over the rink. It was trippy and awesome and the Ghostbusters theme song was sung at the top of our lungs while dancing on wheels and slick, waxy surfaces. Good times.
Such good times and so much neon!!! Ours was the Dairy Ashford rink and it was owned by a retired couple who kept a watchful eye over all of us kids.
Nice! I remember wearing so much neon a boy at my school used to call me Rainbow Brite. He was an A-hole.
I freaking loved Rainbow Brite. He probably had a crush on you.
Maybe, but he was still a jerk. I loved RB too.
Lovely Kim. Sisters are the best