So amidst the Star Wars craze of the summer of 1983(I didn't go anywhere without my Kenner Luke Skywalker action figure), two other interests would eventually death grip my attention, and they have yet to let me go. My cousin George took me to a few kids' outings of the local Chinese church. There were two memorable events. One was a picnic at a park, and the other was a party at a roller skate rink.
The roller skate rink changed my life. It was there where I played my first video game and heard my first hip hop song. I was timid and shy around strangers, and the speed at which people zipped by me on skates made me afraid to try skating. So I stood near the rink and observed(an activity I became good at doing).
I noticed some machines with blinking colors off to the right of the rink. I asked one of the chaperons if I could go over there. He told me you'd have to cross the rink and for that you'd need to put on skates. "Huh wha," I thought. "Can't I just walk around the rink," I continued pondering perplexedly. (Who lets an idiot watch over a bunch of kids?) I eventually went over to the fascinating machines when some other kids wandered over there. There it was in all its glory - Pac Man. My time on it was short and sweet as I only had one quarter. Afterwards, I just observed the others play.
So there I was, soaking in the sights and sounds of Joust, Galaga, and Donkey Kong when the whole place ERUPTED. "Planet Rock" came over the rink's speakers and everyone went bananas. People started dancing and skating at the same time even more so than previously . There was breakdancing and popping and locking on sides of the rink. I was a natural and enthusiastic imitator, so I went home and practiced what I saw and heard. When I heard Fat Boys and Doug E. Fresh sometime later, I would start trying to beatbox. In 7th grade, people were amazed at how fast I could do it.
to be continued...
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