My dad was a saver. He was frugal. He’d pick up a lost penny off the ground and put it in his pocket. He never had his car towed. Not once in 75 years did he call a towing service. That was a waste of money, he said. If his car stopped running while on the road, he’d work on it till he had it running. Or he’d push it home. Every time we went to dinner, he had a coupon.
But he did spend money on things that he loved. He once told me about buying a pair of custom-made roller skates in the mid-1950s when he was obsessed with the sport. His skates were made in Chicago. Cost $150. At the time, 1956, he earned less than $20 a week working part-time at IGA. So he saved his money for months to get those skates.
Dad had dreams of being a semiprofessional roller skater. He did precision figure skating—jumps and spins. He did dancing on roller skates. Skating was apparently a big deal in the 1950s. And Dad was very good.
In the 1960s he was suddenly married with children. But he still loved skating, and he took me and Doug to a skating rink in Ellisville on the weekends. (The building is still there, on Manchester near Clarkson.) He never taught us to skate. Just gave us the rented skates and expected us to figure it out. And we did.
In some ways, I’m like my dad. I found a dime at the car wash last week. And I still love skating. I was skating about a week ago. I put on my speed skates ($51 on Amazon in 2015), and Joy chased me around the house. I skated the hallway and the kitchen. The foyer. Suddenly, BAM! I was on the floor. At first, I thought I had broken my wrist. But it was fine. However, my shoulder was on fire. I couldn’t lift my arm. A week later, it’s a bit better. But I’m putting the skates up for a while.
I cannot afford to be seriously injured. Or worse. I have a four-year-old daughter who kinda relies on me. In fact, I think I have to figure out how to live until age 90.
I need to get more exercise. But it will not be on roller skates. A stationary bike is a better option for me. And, of course, chasing Joy when she hops out of the tub.
Joy Elizabeth 