{"id":12329,"date":"2024-07-07T23:18:15","date_gmt":"2024-07-07T23:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storypress.site\/?p=12329"},"modified":"2024-07-07T23:18:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-07T23:18:15","slug":"im-not-the-only-elderly-enough-to-recall-the-purpose-of-this-thing-can-i-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storypress.site\/?p=12329","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m not the only elderly enough to recall the purpose of this thing, can I?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Roller skating is a pastime that generations of kids and adults have enjoyed.<\/p>\n

The first use of roller skates were said to be in a London stage performance as early as 1743, with John Joseph Merlin claiming the first skate invention while living in London in 1760.<\/p>\n

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They even featured during World War II when the U.S. had the idea of using them to move infantry around Europe to save gas \u2013 an idea that didn\u2019t materialize.<\/p>\n

In the U.S. they first became a popular pastime in 1935 and when skating rinks playing disco music were introduced in the 1970s the hobby became all the rage.<\/p>\n

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For those of a certain age you may remember those heavy metal skates that attached to your shoes and adjusted as your feet grew. But you may not remember a metal object that came with these skates that most skaters wore around their neck.<\/p>\n

Images of the copper-colored object are being shared on social media sites with many taking a guess that it\u2019s a bottle opener or some kind of tool.<\/p>\n

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It is in fact a skate key, and for those skating before the 1970s it was essential to anyone with roller skates.<\/p>\n

Skates would be strapped to your shoe and the size could be adjusted using the skate key.<\/p>\n

The key would fit into the back of the pair of skates and most people would wear the key around their neck so they wouldn\u2019t lose it while skating.<\/p>\n

Songs have even been written about this important piece of skating equipment.<\/p>\n