An ode to my youth

Do you remember your youth? I do.
On
February 15, 2008
Do you remember when life was all about collecting Garbage Pail Kids cards, and when you could have your next Ecto Cooler? I do. And maybe that makes me overly nostalgic, but I can't help it. I loved the 80's. Between the NES, actual Cartoons, the horribly awesome fashion (who can forget Zubaz, or Acid Wash Jeans), this was, in my opinion, the best decade to grow up in.



As a child of the midwest, we had the misfortune of missing out on a lot of the new trends that would hit. Sadly they would make their way to good ol' MN a few months too late, on the decline of their popularity. But that didn't mean we weren't able to enjoy them any less.



If you could remember a time when Growing Pains was as cool as Disney's the Gummi Bears, then you know what I'm talking about. I know with age comes wisdom, but it also brings a longing to enjoy your youth again. I'm finding this a hard balance to deal with. I'm almost 30 now, and all I can remember is how much fun it was to come home from school or hockey practice, pop in R.C. Pro Am on the NES, and drink my Ecto Cooler.



Life was so much simpler then. Of course, I'm finding now, that alot of what we enjoy as children, should remain that way. For instance, there was a cartoon I loved, which is proudly shown here, called M.A.S.K. A great cartoon. However I watched it again recently on dvd, and it really doesn't retain its appeal (IMHO). Same goes for He-Man. Could Prince Valiant have been any more effeminate?

I think this is what makes our youth so incredible. We are able to enjoy things for what they are, and not try to read into them.
Here are a list, in no particular order, of my favorite things about my youth. Feel free to comment as you will.

A. The Garbage Pail Kids. The cards were awesome. Back when you were young, this was about as risque as it gets. Now, we live in an age where we can see ALL of Britney Spears 24/7. But back then, finding a Potty Scotty card was almost enough to get you in trouble.

B. The Goonies. To this day, its still my favorite rainy day movie of all time. I remember being sick from school, putting this in the VCR, and just having a great time. Plus, it didn't hurt that I had a HUGE crush on Kerri Green (AKA Andy).

C. BMX Bikes. I had a Dyno. It got stolen. I cried. Enough said.


D. Music. Who doesn't love the 80's for music? Between the birth of rap, hair/glam metal at its finest, pop music reaching new heights, and enough Michael Jackson to last a lifetime, it was easily a great time for music. In MN, we had 2 options, country, or country music. Naturally, I rebelled. Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Guns N' Roses, Poison, Warrant, they all had a time in my walkman.



E. Cartoons. Ah, this is my favorite thing about the 80's. Back when cartoons actually were fun. Hand drawn animation at its finest. The Gummi Bears, M.A.S.K., Transformers, G.I. Joe, Voltron, nothing compared to enjoying a Saturday morning cartoon fest. And that leads me to...

F. Toys. The toys that they made were incredible. Actual Die Cast Transformers, not plastic; the small G.I. Joe action figures (StormShadow rules!), the Voltron Lions, I mean, what can compare to those?

I guess in this day and age, it makes me appreciate all that my parents went through to get me Optimus Prime for my birthday, or having a sleepover at a friends playing Zelda all night. I hope your memories of the 80's are as fond as mine.
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