The way we were - Growing up in the 80's through music

Posting this on here because it was a fun write from 2010.  My first post on facebook after our group disbanded from MySpace.  Certainly not a show of my writing skills, but fun, none the less!  I love the nostalgia of the 80's and hope you enjoy it too.

**Blogophilia is a writer’s group with weekly topics and challenges**

Topic: The Way We Were

(Hard, 2pts): complete the phrase "Advice is what we ask for...."

(Easy, 1pt): include the word 'insane'

The 80’s – The way we were

The year was 1982. I stood a little on the edge of seventeen and spent most of my time running against the wind.  Life was nothing but a good time; full of big hair, parachute pants, head bands, legwarmers, scrunch socks and bright neon colors.  Mullets were actually fashionable, disco was dead and Joe Cool ruled.  It was a time of ‘Don’t worry, be happy’ and some of my favorite music hit the airwaves.  MTV was born and video killed the radio star.

I suppose my mom felt I was livin’on a prayer most days and her incredible task of protecting her little girl changed to learning how to hold on loosely.   Letting go did not come easy for her and each decision, (either of us made) seemed to simply add another brick in the wall of our relationship.  She knew my every little step and what she managed to miss, the private eyes of a small town revealed.

We battled something constantly and she certainly knew the buttons to push in order to start me up. “It’s my life and you are ruining it!”  I remember crying out in tears. I was absolutely positive she didn’t know or understand how important things were to me.  “It’s a celebration and the girls just want to have fun.  We won’t be burning down the house or anything!”  I was quite sure if I didn’t get out of there, I was going to go insane and start howling at the moon or something.   I needed an escape.

I had my pride and why couldn’t she respect I would never be the goody two shoes she probably hoped for in a daughter?  I wanted her to see I walk this way, and maybe if she would loosen up and get into the groove, it wouldn’t be such a cruel summer for either of us.

It never seemed to bother my mom at all if my social life was ruined.  I remember Calvin with the tantalizing electric blue eyes.  He was two years older and she wouldn’t allow me to date him because he was too “old”. He drove a hot little red corvette and (well maybe) he drove too fast sometimes, but I was invincible and besides, he looked  like a great driver to me!   We fought about him until she reached her final countdown and then it always ended up with her speech “Here I go again with you…round and round.  If you think I am going to let you run around footloose and fancy free, you have another thing coming!  Realize I say no, because I love you!”

Everything in me could not keep my eyes from rolling and all I could think was, “What’s love got to do with it?” I’m sure I glared at her like she was a big eyed fish out of water.  Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t wish ill on my mother, but I suppose if looks could kill well…she wouldn’t have been feeling so wonderful about that time.

My own place…that’s just what I needed and it was my prerogative.  I was ready to bust a move and it was feeling pretty urgent. Still in school, and basically working for the weekend, I poured my efforts into an endless wishing well of dreams.  The wheel in the sky kept turning while I searched for that fantasy  paradise city far, far away.  “No one can stop me now!” I screamed with a rebel yell and I ran as fast and far as I could.  I loaded up the u-haul with my car in tow and drove all the way to Oregon. It was as far as I could go without leaving the country.  My brain chanting “Don’t look back…just don’t look back”. I was walking on sunshine and I never felt so alive in all my life! Nothing was going to break my stride.

I moved around a lot and rode the crazy train of life for a few years.  One day I woke to realize every rose has its thorn. I looked at the worn photograph of home and sighed heavily. Through a faint careless whisper, the words formed “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…I want to go home”.  It can feel like one is a million miles away from your destination when that’s where one needs to be at the moment. I felt it all fade to grey.  I packed up my belongings and drove all night long, just to get back home.

I made a lot of mistakes growing up and you might think I’m crazy, but I would do it all again. I have to say I would have treated my mom better, hung on tighter to the people in my life and soaked in each moment in time more. I would have listened to and asked for more advice.  Funny thing, advice is what we ask for when we finally figure out we don’t know it all. 

For what it’s worth, my advice is... never give up on your dreams, don’t stop believing, have faith, and keep pressing forward.  Life goes on, with or without you.

Top 25 Rock 80’s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsCvCg2og0o&feature=related  

Pop 80’s Compilation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Fx9ksBr80&feature=&p=91B1017C505AE79C&index=0&playnext=1 

80’s Song List Used in Story

1. Edge of Seventeen – Stevie Nicks
2. Against the Wind.  – Bob Segar
3. Nothing but a Good Time -  Poison
4. Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
5. Video Killed the Radio Star - Buggles
6. Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
7. Hold on Loosely – 38 Special
8. Another Brick in the Wall – Pink Floyd
9. Every Little Step – Bobby Brown
10. Private Eyes – Hall & Oats
11. Start Me Up – Rolling Stones
12. It’s My life – Talk Talk
13. Celebration – Kool & the Game
14. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cindi Lauper
15. Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
16. Go Insane – Lindsey Buckingham
17. Howling at the Moon - Ramones
18. Escape (The Pina Colada Song)–  Rupert Holmes
19. Pride (In the name of love) – U2
20. Goody Two Shoes – Adam Ant
21. Walk This Way - Aerosmith
22. Get Into the Groove - Madonna
23. Cruel Summer - Bananarama
24. Electric Blue – Ice House
25. Little Red Corvette - Prince
26. Here I go again - Whitesnake
27. Round and Round - Ratt
28. Footloose – Kenny Loggins
29. Another Thing Coming – Judas Priest
30. What’s Love Got to Do With It? – Tina Turner
31. Big Eyed Fish – Dave Mathews Band
32. Don’t get me wrong - Pretenders
33. If Looks Could Kill - Heart
34. Just What I Needed – The Cars
35. My Prerogative : Bobby Brown
36. Bust A Move – Young MC
37. Urgent. - Foreigner
38. Working for the Weekend - Loverboy
39. Wishing Well - Terence Trent D'Arby
40. Wheel in the Sky - Journey
41. Fantasy – Aldo Nova
42. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
43. No One Can Stop Me Now - SAGA
44. Rebel Yell – Billy Idol
45. I ran – A Flock of Seagulls
46. Don’t Look Back - Boston
47. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
48. So Alive – Love and Rockets
49. Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder
50. Crazy Train -  Ozzy Osbourne
51. Every Rose Has its Thorn – Poison
52. Photograph – Def Leppard
53. Careless Whisper – Wham!
54. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for – U2
55. One – Metallica
56. Million Miles Away - Plimsouls
57. Fade to Grey - Visage
58. All Night Long.- Lionel Richie
59. You Might Think  - The Cars
60. Never - Heart
61. Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
62. Faith – George Michael
63. With or Without You – U2