The Circle of Life

I was born in western Pennsylvania during the 70's, when disco and bell bottoms were in.  I was born the year my beloved America celebrated it's bicentennial. 

I grew up in the 80's.  In the early part of the 80's I watched my Mom jazzercize to her Thriller album and I collected Garbage Pal cards.  I broke my brothers General Lee model car and to this day he hasn't forgiven me. 

I would visit my Grandmother in West Orange, New Jersy and I was scared to death of the big city.

In the late eighties my hair stood up about 4 inches at the top and I listened to Def Leppard and Guns 'N Roses.  I rolled my jeans up at the ankles and wore brightly colored slouch socks.  I answered the phone by saying "Talk to me, Goose".

In the early 90's my hair was still pretty high.  I thought I was going to marry Kip Winger and travel with his band.  I didn't miss an episode of 90210.  I made fun of a classmate who wore a Huey Lewis and the News World Tour '86 tee shirt to school. 

During the mid-90's, I decided to move to New Mexico to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher on the Navajo reservation.  I became a vegetarian and voted for Bill Clinton's re-election.   I considered myself a serious humanitarian.  I thought I was going to marry a handsome Native American that looked like Wind In His Hair with a washboard stomach.  I wanted to move into a traditional hogan and live off the land.

Instead I met Todd.  Todd was an eccentric black cowboy from a town bordered by the Navajo reservation who spoke fluent Spanish and drove a pick-up truck.  He listened to Def Leppard and George Strait and Al Green.  He didn't have long, flowing black hair.  In fact, he hardly had any hair.  But he had somewhat of a washboard stomach.

He collected Star Wars memorabilia from the 70's and 80's.

Todd made me a steak.  After going for nearly 4 years without eating beef, I'd forgotten how good it was.  He convinced me to get cable.  I made him his first pirogi.

In the late 90's, Todd asked me to marry him.  We flew out to Pennsylvania so he could meet my family.  He met my jazzercizing mother and Bill Clinton-hating father.  I gave my brother a replica General Lee model car that I found at Toys R Us. 

We had an impromptu wedding service with no rings to exchange.  I wore blue.  Afterwards we drove to Las Vegas in his pick up truck for a quick honeymoon and listened George Strait CD's most of the way there.  I was madly in love and felt all giddy.

We moved to Phoenix, Arizona and I decided I loved living in the big city.

On September 11th, 2001 Todd and I held hands and cried together because we thought our beloved America was going to be destroyed by evil terrorists.

In 2004, we decided to have a child.  We named him Todd Jr.  Again I fell madly in love. 

Around 2007, I began missing Pennsylvania and my family and we decided that our son should be around his grandparents and family here.  We packed up the Uhaul and headed east.  We listened to Casey Kasem's American Top 40 on the satellite radio most of the way.  We heard several HLATN songs, and sang along with every one of them. 

Fast forward a few years.  Our son is approaching 8.  He listens to Thriller at least once a week.  He collects Star Wars memorabilia from any  decade.  He tries to speak Spanish, and he thinks his Dad's steaks are the best in the world, as long as they are served right along with a pirogi.  Last year we took him to see HLATN in concert after a baseball game.  He thinks Huey Lewis is the epitome of coolness.

My Dad has eased up on Bill Clinton.  My Mom prefers Zumba these days.  My brother still has that General Lee model car.  I eat meat almost daily.  I live in a suburban townhouse and I couldn't live off the land if I tried.

Just the other day Todd and I held hands and cried together because we think our beloved America is going to be destroyed by evil Americans.

I suppose the point I'm trying to make is simply this.  For me my entire life has been one continuing circle, with several repeating factors applicable in different ways.  It doesn't matter how much society and culture changes, it's all one redundant cycle of the same stuff at different times in our lives. 

And just be careful who you make fun of in high school.  That former classmate is a now mega-millionaire software designer.  The last time I saw him be made fun of me because I still haven't fully let go of my high hair.