Robert, who was 68 and had been enjoying retirement for about a year, decided to fulfill his childhood dream. This dream was to learn roller skating, or the more modern version, inline skating.

One morning, determined, Robert went to an inline skating store to buy a complete outfit. Confidently, he told the seller his intention, but the seller initially thought Robert wanted to buy a gift for his grandchild. When Robert quickly clarified that the skates were for him, the seller smiled. Assuming it was the old man’s whim and feeling pity, the seller presented him with the cheapest offer so that the old man wouldn’t overexert himself. Happy about his luck getting a bargain, Robert made his way home satisfied. The very next day, he wanted to start his project and practice inline skating daily so that he could quickly reach, if not a professional level, then at least an advanced level.

It became a routine for Robert to practice skating in the courtyard of his residential complex whenever the weather was good, wearing his gear and skates. He quickly became a local spectacle. Every time, five minutes before Robert came down, a large group of people from the neighborhood gathered to watch the amusing show. It was strange and incomprehensible to them why an old man would struggle so hard to learn inline skating at his age. To them, he was making a fool of himself.

Robert, of course, noticed that people were laughing at him, but he could only look proudly past it. Fulfilling his childhood dream was too important to him to care about what others thought of him.

It wasn’t easy for him; he often fell and heard the neighbors’ giggles in the background, but he didn’t give up and gradually made progress. One day, when he started too daringly and fell again, his neighbor Horst, 50 years old and suppressing his laughter, asked him:

“Why do you do this to yourself, Robert? At your age, you might break something, and it won’t heal so quickly. Why don’t you find a hobby more suitable for your age?”

“Suitable for my age? What do you mean by that?” Robert replied.

“Well, you know, like playing cards or chess. Something like that, more fitting for your age, and less dangerous for you.”

“I hate playing cards, never liked it, and chess even less. Sitting around all the time is boring. Suitable for my age, ha ha, don’t make me laugh. I do what I like and what I desire. My age doesn’t matter. What people say or make fun of me is also irrelevant. What matters to me is fulfilling my childhood dream: to learn inline skating, which back then was called roller skating. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity as a little boy; I had to help my father at work, and later, other commitments always came up. Here I am now, 68 years old, but this time I won’t let anyone, or anything, ruin it for me.”

“As you wish, Robert. I meant it well. We all meant it well here.” Horst raised his hands in surrender and looked at the group watching him.

“You meant it well? You made fun of me. But I have only one thing to say,” Robert said loudly enough for the others to hear.

“Instead of occupying yourselves with other people’s lives, how about thinking about your unfulfilled dreams, childhood dreams, and trying to fulfill them? Maybe that’s why you’re so unhappy. And to distract yourselves from this misery, you make fun of others.” Robert ended his speech, speaking from his heart.

The gathered crowd looked dejectedly into the void. The cheerful mood was suddenly silenced, and the gathering dissolved. Robert, on the other hand, was full of joy and enthusiasm and concentrated on learning inline skating.

©2026, Vasiliki Papadopoulou

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