Many students have hobbies and activities they participate in that define them outside of the King’s Academy; mine is my renewed love of roller skating. When I turned ten, my older sister, Sarah, got me bright blue roller skates for my birthday, claiming she stole them off an unsuspecting kid. Along with the skates, she gave me pink barbie knee pads, elbow pads, and a helmet so that I wouldn’t die because of my clumsiness. We skated together around our neighborhood in Texas, singing the song “cooler than me” at the top of our lungs, disturbing all of our neighbors. She had inline skates, which were hard for her to balance in compared to my roller skates. From that date on, I loved roller skating and would do it constantly with my sister until she went off to college. When I moved to Florida, I found friends and shared my love for roller skating with them—sharing the skates by putting one roller skate on my left foot and one on their right foot and having a blast in my cul-de-sac. I slowly drifted away from roller skating as my schedule became more hectic with school and theater. When covid-19 hit, and we were quarantined, I had a surplus of time and nothing to do with it, I tried on my old skates, and they didn’t fit onto my foot, so I donated the skates. I forgot about my skates until Christmas morning when I was handed a heavy, colorfully wrapped box from my parents. Upon opening, I learned that they had remembered my love for skating and bought me another pair. They had worked with my friend’s parents and bought her a pair too, so that we could skate together, with two skates on each of our feet. I was so excited and immediately put my skates on, weaving and skating through the boxes around our house. I have been skating around my house and gliding over the smooth marble, having an absolute blast. My dogs have a wide variety of reactions towards me skating. Bella has absolutely no fear, running right in front of me, and almost being run over, while the other dogs, Daisy and Lexi and more apprehensive walking away or not wanting to be near. After I had had my skates for a week, I got a call from my sister, asking if I got barbie knee pads, elbow pads, and a helmet, I explained how I’m good at roller skating and don’t need knee pads, elbow pads, or a helmet, and she laughed saying how I’m going to break something. Despite her words, I continue to skate and have skated to the beach and back numerous times, watching the ocean and tides. I have not broken anything but have almost fallen several times. I have enjoyed the nostalgia and renewed love of roller skating. Overall, I recommend bringing back hobbies that you once loved and enjoying and making the most of the time we have left before we graduate.
