I just spent a few hours at the local roller skating rink. I was trying to think about the last time I actually went roller skating, and if my memory serves me correctly, it was at Wal-Lex. Wal-Lex was this great 50’s style entertainment venue. There were two buildings, one housed the roller skating rink and the other was a bowling/pool hall place. It was a perennial favorite among friends and many a birthday party was held there.

To keep things in check there was an old Chinese man, Wing, who would wear a referee uniform and skate around, whistle in mouth, ready to call you out if you pushed the limits a bit too far. Another great thing about Wal-Lex was that every time you went, at some point they would stop the regular music and play the “chicken dance.” Wing would lead the crowd, and en masse, everyone would stoop down and flap their arms at their side… it was corny but we all loved it.

I remember after I had been away at college for a while I came back home for a break and happened to be out by Wal-Lex. Sadly, the times had moved beyond such simple pleasures, and in its place was a generic Petco/Staples shopping plaza. It was sad to see the place gone, it was as if a certain part of my childhood had been erased. So tonight’s pleasures were a bit nostalgic, and yeah, I didn’t fall.