Roller Skating In Portland - The Song Remains The Same

Serviceable but not exactly in good condition.

Over the break my daughter wanted to go roller skating. I enthusiastically agreed to take her, thinking of the fun times I had as a kid in the 70's and 80's.

I also thought about the local resurgence of  roller derby here, hoping this cultural rebirth would add a new dimension to the roller rink experience.

We went to a local rink and were greeted by pleasant people and skated to decent music.

The shock came when I became aware that the facilities weren't facsimiles of the roller rinks of my era, but were in fact the same exact items. No new skate technology or materials, no investment in the premises, just everything kept going, barely.

My daughter grew frustrated as I began to rediscover my moves. I still like roller skating.

But the notion that skating was only a nostalgia trip with no new energy to be found shortened the day considerably.

The moves will have to wait.