I made an off-handed post similar to this once on Facebook and for some reason, and due to a recent special event (an 80s Prom at our local watering hole), I thought of it again for this blog.
A 21 year old's Compendium of Mysterious Terms...
Betamax, Intellivision, Leaded or Unleaded?, That's bogue", Commodore 64, Watergate, Love Canal, 3 Mile Island, "You Meathead!", Sea Monkeys, Pet Rock, Datsun, NOW, ERA, 'Ludes, Going to Betty Ford, Match Game, Pol Pot, Khmer Rouge, Ayatollah Khomeni, Khadafi, Sadat and Begin, AMC Gremlin, Rhodesia, Idi Amin, Billy Beer, Pele, Jonestown, Braniff, The Falklands,
annnnd there were only 4 channels on TV.
Dear 21-year-olds, please try to imagine a time when the things listed following were rare or didn't exist when I was your age: internet access, mobile phones, DVDs, CDs, portable computers, phones without cords, personal computers, cable TV, satellite TV or radio, and (gasp) credit cards.
I'd love to see the same list done for someone who is 84 or 63 to a 42 year old... I could probably do it with the help of the innernet and wikipedia... God bless the Innernet.
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Rest In Peace Uncle Louie
A funeral is on my schedule for today.
My uncle, who meant a great deal to his family and friends, died this past Monday morning peacefully in his sleep after an illness of several months that gradually weakened him. He had just celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife Vivian on Friday the 1st of May.
I knew my Uncle Louie as a warm, kind, and loving uncle whose time spent with his family and friends was always filled with laughter and easy company. For many years he owned and operated a nice little Schwinn bicycle store for which I was the lucky groundbreaker and my family's construction company built. That great place from my childhood was always called 'the bike shop'. I hold great memories (sights, smells, feelings) of the bike shop and also their home on 8th Street which hosted many terrific family gatherings. I remember his laugh and smile. I will certainly miss him, his voice, his twinkling eyes, his humor, his manner.
The connection with my family and past he represents is nearly unparalleled for me. He and Aunt Viv always made sure that their childrens', nieces' and nephews' childhood was filled with joy. For this I am eternally grateful.
The way I can honor him best is really the only way and that is by striving to be as warm, kind, gentle, and loving as he. I don't think it is nearly as easy as it sounds because I know few who could compare. If it is hard, he sure made it look easy and that's why he will certainly will be missed.
My uncle, who meant a great deal to his family and friends, died this past Monday morning peacefully in his sleep after an illness of several months that gradually weakened him. He had just celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife Vivian on Friday the 1st of May.
I knew my Uncle Louie as a warm, kind, and loving uncle whose time spent with his family and friends was always filled with laughter and easy company. For many years he owned and operated a nice little Schwinn bicycle store for which I was the lucky groundbreaker and my family's construction company built. That great place from my childhood was always called 'the bike shop'. I hold great memories (sights, smells, feelings) of the bike shop and also their home on 8th Street which hosted many terrific family gatherings. I remember his laugh and smile. I will certainly miss him, his voice, his twinkling eyes, his humor, his manner.
The connection with my family and past he represents is nearly unparalleled for me. He and Aunt Viv always made sure that their childrens', nieces' and nephews' childhood was filled with joy. For this I am eternally grateful.
The way I can honor him best is really the only way and that is by striving to be as warm, kind, gentle, and loving as he. I don't think it is nearly as easy as it sounds because I know few who could compare. If it is hard, he sure made it look easy and that's why he will certainly will be missed.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Fave Sports Moments I
Weird.
Maybe it's the advent of the NFL season or that summer is winding down or because I typically eat quiet lunches alone, but recently I've had these odd recollections of sports moments pop into my head. I'm not sure why they've started showing up, but it made me think of several that are my favorites.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be smattering in a few moments that have stood out to me. Not sure why anyone would really care about them except for me, but I'm still going to post them. Ah, narcissism.
Without further adieu and in no particular order...
Julius Erving - circa 1982: The moment when Dr. J appeared to defy gravity
It strikes me as odd how many are not familiar with Dr. J or his style of basketball (likely a factor of how time passes). Many things he did were incredible for their time and in the attached YouTube link at approximately 2:40 into the video, what may be his most famous move is shown from 3 different angles.
I can remember watching this game live and remember talking about it with my friends with whom I played basketball in junior high. I was totally dumbfounded when it occurred live and still to this day find the move amazing. I remember thinking there was no way anyone could emulate that move in the gym the next week.
I also recall thinking that it wasn't anything remotely close to what our coaches taught us or even showed any admiration for, making me understand that just because a particular method has success, doesn't mean that it can't be made better or more beautiful. It also made me aware that to get to a higher place, means first mastering the fundamentals, then allowing your creativity to guide you from there.
Watching Dr. J and how he played, made me for the first time, consider athletics as a possible physical and moving artform, and giving freeform play as credible a place in learning as rigid schooling of the fundamentals.
Maybe it's the advent of the NFL season or that summer is winding down or because I typically eat quiet lunches alone, but recently I've had these odd recollections of sports moments pop into my head. I'm not sure why they've started showing up, but it made me think of several that are my favorites.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be smattering in a few moments that have stood out to me. Not sure why anyone would really care about them except for me, but I'm still going to post them. Ah, narcissism.
Without further adieu and in no particular order...
Julius Erving - circa 1982: The moment when Dr. J appeared to defy gravity
It strikes me as odd how many are not familiar with Dr. J or his style of basketball (likely a factor of how time passes). Many things he did were incredible for their time and in the attached YouTube link at approximately 2:40 into the video, what may be his most famous move is shown from 3 different angles.
I can remember watching this game live and remember talking about it with my friends with whom I played basketball in junior high. I was totally dumbfounded when it occurred live and still to this day find the move amazing. I remember thinking there was no way anyone could emulate that move in the gym the next week.
I also recall thinking that it wasn't anything remotely close to what our coaches taught us or even showed any admiration for, making me understand that just because a particular method has success, doesn't mean that it can't be made better or more beautiful. It also made me aware that to get to a higher place, means first mastering the fundamentals, then allowing your creativity to guide you from there.
Watching Dr. J and how he played, made me for the first time, consider athletics as a possible physical and moving artform, and giving freeform play as credible a place in learning as rigid schooling of the fundamentals.
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