30 Comments
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Jen Zug's avatar

“Concentrating on the music, I nurtured a dormant groove.” Oh my, I love this line. I feel the dormancy of many things in my 50s and love when something makes them come alive!

I was very stressed reading this, though. I have three male friends who all broke an arm trying to skateboard again in their 50s! Glad this story didn’t end that way! 😂

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you for reading ❤️

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Mikala Jamison's avatar

Beautiful piece!

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you for reading ❤️

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Asha Sanaker's avatar

Oh, Anna, you've got me tearing up over here! How humbling it is to inhabit these bodies that don't do what they used to do so easily. How triumphant to just keep trying anyway because that whisper of freedom that used to whistle past as we flew still rings faintly in our ear.

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you for reading and commenting ❤️

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Dawn Mackey's avatar

This so reminds me of my own 'later in life' venture out at the roller rink with my son and daughter in law. I had visions of skating backwards and zipping around just like I did as a teen. Instead, I fell and held the railing most of the time. Lol

Great story, Anna! I loved it. 🙂

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Jaymi “the OC BookGirl”'s avatar

This is a wonderful post! I got back on skates during the pandemic and love it. Also Xanadu? Best movie ever.

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Richard Grayson's avatar

Inspiring.

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Lewann Babler's avatar

Loved this piece, Anna! This story and your vibrant, beaming smile warmed my heart this morning.

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you so much!!! ❤️

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Kim Druker Stockwell's avatar

Remembering that period of our lives, adolescence, is not always cringy. It's fun to read someone else's to see we really weren't alone in our yearn for attention and funny little things we did when we were out roaming around. Thank you for your post!

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you Kim!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Wonderful, just wonderful! 😊

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you ❤️

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Ellie Presner's avatar

I love this story! How brave she is to tackle a long-ago activity, especially after such an awful accident! I can relate a bit because a few years ago I thought I'd take up bike-riding, which I'd loved as a 10-year old! So what happened? Here's the link to my little blog post from that spring: https://elliepresner.com/2016/06/05/its-just-like-riding-a-bicycle/

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thanks for reading - and sharing!!

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Liz Woodbury's avatar

But...why does she "no longer own a pair of roller skates"?? (asking for a 50-something wannabe roller skater) (me)

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

I ended up passing them along to my friends 12-year daughter!

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Liz Woodbury's avatar

I hope you still get a chance to skate!

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Sari Botton's avatar

She has skates!

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Joan DeMartin's avatar

Lovely story...

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you for reading ❤️

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Elizabeth Roper Marcus's avatar

Such a brave and wonderful story. Inspirational.

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you so much!

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Sandra Butler's avatar

What a splendid piece about how you are choosing to live out loud. Such a choice is so complicated, so moving and so wonderfully human. Thank you.

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you for reading ❤️

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Julia's avatar

I love this. You go, girl!!

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Anna Armstrong's avatar

Thank you!!!

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Carol Campos's avatar

Love It. Made me remind my childhood.

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