Growing up in the 1990's was a reckless time. My parents never really knew for sure where I was. I barely wore shoes, just couldn't be bothered. There were no cell phones, and if you owned a computer at home, you were RICH. We were on the cusp of a new millennium, and we had no idea what that could even begin to mean. Honestly the only thing I cared about was how may butterfly hair clips, and shirts with embroidered smiley faces would show up to school from week to week. (Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, the fashion of the 90's has come back with a vengeance! Remember, fashion is cyclical, so maybe hang on to some of your favorite pieces, it might be back in style in 10 years.)
If you were a teen in Concord in the 90's, you only had a couple of choices. You could go to the mall and "cruise," but that was only fun if you were a car person, or had a license. Plus the cops would pull you over the third time you did the loop. Nobody wants that. There was the movies, but that depended on what was playing, and you still had to be at the mall with all the cruising and cop traffic passing you by. So, I enjoyed the other option. I went to the Skating Rink. Every Friday, Saturday, and the occasional weeknight, you would find teens posted all over the outside and inside of our local business.
The building was stuffy, and usually close to being overcrowded. The carpet was probably the original carpet that had been installed in the 1970's when the rink was built, and the bathroom floors were slightly slanted, so you would usually roll right out of the stall if you weren't careful. However, you wouldn't find a better slice of pizza, a larger size Witchdoctor (a fountain drink made by mixing every soda, pickle juice, and fresh dill pickles-yes it is somehow delicious), and one of the best soundtracks of your life.
Whether you were into Pop, R&B, Rap, Ska, Punk... they played it all. And somehow you found that you knew every song. And every song they played was another memorable highlight. Whether you had just revealed a long time crush and were couple skating for the first time, or you were swearing off love in the most dramatic fashion possible-there was a song for that. Whether you were fighting to remember these few moments of speed and grace and freedom before you left, or just walking in for the first time-there was a song for that.
I hope you enjoy this musical trip down memory lane with me, and that you can find a song for whatever you are doing or going through today!
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