Sara and Melissa Talk About...Hobbies from our Past

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are going into our sixth year!

This month, we are reflecting upon hobbies we had a while back. 

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Sara Steven:

I recently discovered a show on Max called Roller Jam.

I felt absolutely compelled to watch it.

I spent the majority of my childhood and teen years roller skating. My dad worked as the DJ at a roller rink, which meant easy access before the rest of the crowd would show up, free entry to all of the sessions each day and/or night, including the coveted all-night skates, and I’d get to stick around while my dad cleaned up after the night would end.

Skate Palace

It was a really interesting lifestyle. I lived at the rink. A bonafide rink rat. I was there at least five days a week. At one point I attempted to participate in what is known as “art skate,” or artistic skate, but I don’t think I had enough concentration to stick with it in those days. I much preferred the fun of skating the way I wanted to, without being told how to do it. My dad and sister preferred speed skating, participating in competitions that would ultimately take my dad to various states to compete in regionals. 

My dad is in the middle

I stopped roller skating in my early twenties, a byproduct of moving away from my hometown and the lack of interest from the people surrounding me at the time. I would get outside and rollerblade, but even that fell away after a while. My sons took up the hobby themselves when they were smaller, and even during Covid, I purchased new skates for both of them so we could find new ways to get in some exercise and hang outdoors. But it seems it’s now become a passing fad for them.

   

Roller Jam reignited my passion for roller skating. It’s amazing to me how diligent the teams can be, how dedicated the skaters are to their craft, and how amazing they are in their skates! I can’t help wondering where I would be if I’d kept with it. If I had pursued the lessons. The last time I put on my ratty old skates, I could feel just how rusty I was. But I think I could get back into it, if I practiced more.

I live in a state of perpetual sunshine–no, really. I live in Arizona, where even the winters, albeit super cold in the mornings, develop into some pretty spectacular 70-degree days by the afternoon. Roller Jam reminded me of the joys of roller skating, indoors and out, and how fun it can be. It’s something I really want to get back to and possibly fall in love with again, and while I doubt I’ll ever reach such epic flexible heights as some of the pros do on the show, I know I’ll reconnect with my younger self in the process and uncover those old feelings of mine for the sport.

As my dad used to say: Skate or die, you’re the skater! (From the old Atari game, Skate or Die)    

Melissa Amster:

Before I started CLC, I started a personal blog to just share my thoughts on a variety of topics. The last time I posted in that blog was last May. I will be posting soon that I am not going to be blogging over there anymore, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. (I'm not getting rid of the blog unless Blogger somehow makes me, and that would actually be painful.) In the meantime, I will still be posting, with Sara, about a variety of fun and interesting topics over here. This is the first post of 2025 and it made me think of hobbies and activities I haven't done in a long time. I'm even including some past posts from my personal blog in this post (and possibly other ones in the future). 

The first thing that came to mind when Sara brought up this topic was bowling. I was in bowling leagues in my mid-twenties and even met my husband because of my love for the sport. Over time, we would go bowling together and even show our kids how to do it. Since the pandemic started, we've barely gone. Maybe once a year, if that. Right before the pandemic, my bowling shoes (that I've had since the early 2000s) fell apart. This happened during my turn while we were bowling with friends. I have not purchased a new pair due to how infrequently we go bowling. We did go a few weeks ago for the first time in almost two years (at least that's the last time I remember going prior to this time) and I actually did pretty well. I also got to see my toddler nephew try to bowl and it was really cute.

When I was a kid, I used to draw all the time, whether it was in my notebooks in school or on a big drawing pad on my desk at home. I had fun and it was a nice diversion for me. Seeing how much my daughter loves drawing made me think of how I abandoned that hobby. I also thought of it while watching the movie White Bird. I wouldn't say I was as good at drawing as my daughter is, but it felt freeing at the time.

In my mid-twenties, aside from bowling, I also took improv comedy classes at Comedy Sportz. I had such a great time with that and it really helped me with my confidence. After I met my husband, I didn't continue with it. (I was still bowling at that time though.) I've been living vicariously through watching my older son do improv shows at his college. His troupe is hilarious and entertaining! I'm thankful we live close enough that we can catch some of their shows.

In a show from Comedy Sportz class (2001)

My son in an improv show at his college

Somewhat related to that is my past involvement with The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I talked about it here a while back. It was definitely a big part of my life in my late teens and early twenties, mostly when I was in college. After the movie theater I went to regularly decided to stop showing it, the shadow cast kept moving to different theaters and things just felt different. I still went every once in a while, but it was few and far between, compared to the early days of going. I took my older son to see it a few times in 2022 and 2023 and he had a blast. I don't think it's something he pursues on his own like I did, but it's nice that we got to share that experience.

Just like Sara, I used to go roller skating a lot. Mainly when I was in middle school. There was a place near the theater that showed Rocky Horror called Village Skate and I'd go there every week. I'd also spend hours skating in my basement. Eventually, I lost the skill and just haven't done it since. My husband and kids like to roller skate sometimes. My kids also enjoy ice skating, which I've never been able to do. 

Finally, there's dancing. I was playing Loaded Questions recently and one of the questions was about how we look when we dance. I wrote down "Elaine from Seinfeld." I honestly feel that way nowadays. I used to love dancing and would blast music and make up dance routines in my basement when I was growing up. I took dance class instead of P.E. in high school for three years and had such a great time. I also used to love going dancing with my husband when we were dating and then every so often after we got married. The last time we danced together was at my sister's wedding in 2021 and I was feeling somewhat awkward at that time. Nowadays, I'd probably sit on the sidelines unless it was a slow dance. 

So there you have it! 

What are some hobbies you've had in the past? 

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