Like the people profiled in Roller Daze, I was one of those misfits looking for a place to belong.  I found it at Playland at a young age.  I moved away before junior high and lost contact with Playland and those friends for almost 30 years.

 

My original plan involved a script for a motion picture about those days - and that project lives on to some extent.  But a couple of years ago, a Facebook group popped up for those of us who lived at Playland over three decades ago.  All of a sudden, the faces and experiences that lived only in my imagination came to life daily on my computer screen.

 

So, my script for a film morphed into this documentary.  I knew the real-life stories and experiences would have more impact and meaning than some fictionalized reimagining of those days so many decades ago.

 

Most of the core group profiled in Roller Daze were a few years older than me; I remember emulating many of them, aping their skating moves and generally being in awe.  Many of the group I have no recollection of ever knowing.  So, their stories, from back then to today, are new to me. 

 

But their stories are my stories.  We were all searching for the same thing in life, and we found it at Playland.