A Trip Down Memory Lane...

"Everyday there's something that's new to me, I just gotta breathe, I don't know about you.  But I'm the only one that looks out for me, can be me and...walk in my shoes..."  Emily King - Walk In My Shoes

Hey Hey y'all, sorry I'm a bit late but a woman gotta be on her grind.  Just because school is finished doesn't mean that I can sit on my assets and call it a day.  I have to do me, that's how I roll.  So I have been writing all day long working and listening to some Raheem Devaughn Teedra Moses, Kool and the Gang, Eric Roberson and anything else that would keep my channels of creativity open.  So after all of the concentrating, I have decided that today's entry will be fun.   We are going to reminisce a bit, take a trip down memory lane if you will.  I am hoping that this entry will bring a huge smile to your face as you read and remember.  Whatever I have left out, please be sure to share and add comments about things you remember growing up, but this is what I remember at a time when we didn't have a care in the world.  I remember:

• All the different candy that we spent our allowance money on after school.  Fundip (you know the candy stick with the two flavors on each end), jawbreakers, sour gum, fizz candy and powder in a straw.  Let us not forget Popeye cigarette candies, when we didn't have to worry about our kids being influenced to smoke.  Frills gum - or how we know it–the purple gum that tastes like soap, ring pops, Blow Pops, Bazooka gum (as hard as it was to chew), ONE CENT jujubes (no bloody tax!), Mr. Freeze, Tootsie Pops, corner store mini sacs etc
• After school specials, School House Rock, and Saturday Morning Cartoons and I could go on...

After elementary, we jumped into high school (jr high for some of you), a time when we all wore our ego on our sleeves and thought we were cooler than the next person.  I remember:

• Everyone took part in after school activities
• Everyone you knew ran track, played basketball, football, volleyball or some type of sport?
• You had to be styling and get the new Converse, Nike, British Knights, K-Swiss, L.A. Gears, Addidas, or Fila's that were out at the time?
• All the girls had their bobs done with Pink Oil, pin curls and finger waves done with Let's Jam, while the guys had their gumby's, high tops, and fades in check with Dax. And let us not forget the whole Jerri Curl Phase - Soul Glow!
• Anything with any African American political leader , especially Malcolm X, was a statement in itself.
• Cross Colors, Karl Kani, Jordache, Calvin Klein's and Sassoon Jeans
• Air brushing and "It's a black thing, you wouldn't understand" printed on your gear?  And I could go on...

The transition from high school to college was a difficult one for some, yet others did it effortlessly.  Not that I needed any help but, music was my aid in transition, where there was music best believe Tha Connoisseur was in the middle of the dance floor tearing it up.  I remember...

• At school dances, soc hops, house parties, block-o's or clubs, these songs were guaranteed to be on the dj list: "Groove Me" by Guy, "Treat 'Em Right" by Chubb Rock, "Push It" by Salt n Pepa, "It Takes Two" by Dj Rob Base and E-Z Rock, "My Way" by Kid n Play, "Don't Be Cruel" by Bobby Brown, "Raw" by Big Daddy Kane, "Poison" by BBD, "Bogle" by Buju Banton and anything by Sanchez...just to name a few.
• And each time those songs came on, you broke out in the appropriate dance: Roger Rabbit, The Running Man, Cabbage Patch, The Wop, The Kid n Play, The Transformer, Butterfly, Bogle, Santa Barbara, etc.  Whatever the song required, we knew how and when to do it.  And I can go on...

Oh how times have changed!  We have come so far from playing outside until the light posts came on.  We were always told not to rush things and make sure to enjoy life as a kid and I must say, I truly did.  I am still enjoying life, except for the practical jokes that adulthood tends to play on us sometimes.  You know, like paying rent and paying for overpriced gas.  But it's all in stride...gotta roll with the punches!

Flashback of the day:  That's right, I had to go here!  I had to call on my almighty new jack swing gods–Guy.  Enjoy!

See y'all soon...

Tha Connoisseur