Memoir

Things Come and Things Go

Landmarks of my youth are gone

Photo by on

I’ve lived long enough now to see fads and trends come and go.

Places I took for granted as a kid are falling by the wayside. The roller skating rinks, bowling alleys and drive-ins have left the landscape to be replaced by Dollar Generals, quick cash businesses and gambling parlors.

The skating rink where I spent much of my youth is now a banquet center. The bowling alley where mom was on a league was demolished to make way for a Dollar General, and the arcade at the mall shuttered its gates long ago.

I spent nearly every weekend at the roller rink from third grade through eighth grade.

I even went occasionally when I was in high school because I remember driving there. It was fun to have a spot to hang out with friends where we could listen to music, play arcade games and air hockey and eat popcorn and candy at the concession stand.

It was also a place to make new friends and meet boys! If I chose one iconic place to represent my childhood, the roller rink would be it. I still drive by it often and think of the good times. How I wish I could travel back to 1979 to go skating there one more time!