If you've never read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, do it. Do it for yourselves and for those around you. It inspired me to think back to what made me happy when I was younger. This random list is from as early as I can remember to high school- but not in sequential order. Good luck deciphering!
1. Hide-and-Go Seek! Massive game...anywhere from 5-20 neighborhood kids, at night. Game was not over until everyone was found.
2. Listening to the Beastie Boys on my "boom box."
3. Taking the bus to the 163rd Street Mall and watching the break dancers in the parking lot.
4. Playing Barbies. Different story every day. The yellow elevator never worked on my townhouse but it was fun. We used to take album covers...the ones that folded out into a trifold...to make studio apartments.
5. Walking on the boardwalk- when it wasn't for exercise. This was before we had our license.
6. Making home movies dancing and singing to Pearl Jam. Wearing flannel shirts and thinking we were hard core.
7. Head banging to Guns-N-Roses...wearing tight jeans and black eyeliner...thinking we were hard core.
8. Rides to school with KM, hanging out on WG base, arguing over the Ouija board.
9. Grease. Grease. Grease. It really was The Word.
10. Saving up 100 pennies to chase down the Mr. Softy truck. We never knew when he was coming. Was heartbreaking if you only had 99 pennies.
11. Not going to the OTHER ice cream truck.
12. Collecting Garbage Pail Kids!
13. Chorale
14. Stickers- loved the oily ones that you could squish and the colors would move.
15. Reading. Loved the Babysitters Club. Remember reading a cheerleading series that I have tried and tried to find again. I remember one character was Patrick and he drove a garbage truck. Megan (?) was the good cheerleader. Preston (?) male cheerleader drove a Porsche. Vanessa was a wanna-be and manipulative and once made Megan think that she broke a vase. Seriously...does anyone know this series? (2013 update- an awesome friend found some of them for me. What a hoot to reread. Thanks, KT!)
16. V.C. Andrews and Stephen King FREAKED ME OUT.
17. I liked to make stuff. My favorite was to take a piece of clear tape and color on it with a marker. Then (real fast!) drop Elmer's Glue. Let it dry and then peel it off. Instant treasure.
18. I had an Easy Bake Oven. Wasn't so easy.
19. Used to watch Wonder Woman like crazy. My mom made me my own headband. I would wear my Underoos, tie my mom up with my lasso of truth, and raid the cookie jar. It wasn't until I was older that I realized she let me.
20. Played Pac Man on one of those restaurant video game tables while drinking Shirley Temples.
21. I can still remember making my Dr. Seuss All About Me book.
22. Used to play school. I gave the neighbor Robbie a detention because he was disgusting.
23. Loved to play dress up with my aunt's shoes!
24. My blankie! It had silk on it. (OK- this one was not in high school)
25. Riding down "death hill" on a three wheel bike.
26. Sleepovers at family members' houses.
27. Watching SNL in JH's basement; watching 90210 during the summer with friend on the phone.
28. Matching socks to my shirts!
What would be on your list? Let me know...
Listening to Saturday Night Live at the Oldies on WKRZ-FM on the small, transistor radio my my grandpa gave me.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve dinners at the kids' table.
Being able to walk to Watkin's corner store and Ed's Ice Cream by ourselves FINALLY!
Thank you for sharing! Are you still at the kids' table???
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