Memories Can't Wait
The other day my son asked me about cereal and who invented it. I had the answer to that one, telling him about W.K. Kellogg and his accidental invention of corn flakes, which was the first popular "milk and cereal" combination to change the way Americans ate breakfast.
That reminded me of the cereals I used to enjoy as a kid. My favorites were Cocoa Puffs, Captain Crunch, Boo Berry, Sugar Smacks, and Honeycomb. And whatever had the best stuff to read on the back of the box.
And thinking of those cereals made me realize that there are certain memories that can't, and shouldn't, be re-visited. It only leads to disappointment. Yes, I've sampled some of those cereals recently. Hard to believe I used to get all "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" when I was 8 years old. These days the mere thought of eating chocolate first thing in the morning makes me want to reach for the Tums.
It's like that with memories. Many of them are best left as just memories.
I was so excited to buy H.R. Pufnstuf on DVD to watch with my kids. In fact, they did enjoy the series just as much as I did when I was a kid. But the grown-up me was aghast that the little kid me could actually sit through the show. Same with old kid faves of mine like Lidsville, Wacky Races, Gilligan's Island, and Land of the Lost. I don't have the patience for stories like that anymore, and my happy childhood memories have been tainted by my grown-up judgements and critiques.
It's the same with certain movies from the past. As a kid, I loved Disney films like The Cat From Outer Space and Escape To Witch Mountain. But my palate has become too refined for the ancient special effects of those years. My own memories have been replaced by the ones of my kids laughing and enjoying those movies, so it's not necessarily a bad thing to re-visit those old loves. My kids don't notice the strings and fake blue-screen effects just as I didn't notice them way back when.
The memories that I'm most uneasy about re-visiting involve friends and family. My favorite images of childhood include playing hide-and-seek with my cousins on my Grandma's farm, building cardboard box forts with my neighborhood pals, playing kickball on the playground in 2nd grade, and making silly home movies with my best friend in elementary school. In recent years, I've met up with some of those old friends and relatives. And, for the most part, my cherished memories of them have been completely demolished. In the worst case, an old friend from junior high who always used to make me laugh grew up to become a director of gay porn. Now there's something I really didn't want to know.
I think I'm going to leave most of my old memories alone. And go make some new ones with my kids.
That reminded me of the cereals I used to enjoy as a kid. My favorites were Cocoa Puffs, Captain Crunch, Boo Berry, Sugar Smacks, and Honeycomb. And whatever had the best stuff to read on the back of the box.
And thinking of those cereals made me realize that there are certain memories that can't, and shouldn't, be re-visited. It only leads to disappointment. Yes, I've sampled some of those cereals recently. Hard to believe I used to get all "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" when I was 8 years old. These days the mere thought of eating chocolate first thing in the morning makes me want to reach for the Tums.
It's like that with memories. Many of them are best left as just memories.
I was so excited to buy H.R. Pufnstuf on DVD to watch with my kids. In fact, they did enjoy the series just as much as I did when I was a kid. But the grown-up me was aghast that the little kid me could actually sit through the show. Same with old kid faves of mine like Lidsville, Wacky Races, Gilligan's Island, and Land of the Lost. I don't have the patience for stories like that anymore, and my happy childhood memories have been tainted by my grown-up judgements and critiques.
It's the same with certain movies from the past. As a kid, I loved Disney films like The Cat From Outer Space and Escape To Witch Mountain. But my palate has become too refined for the ancient special effects of those years. My own memories have been replaced by the ones of my kids laughing and enjoying those movies, so it's not necessarily a bad thing to re-visit those old loves. My kids don't notice the strings and fake blue-screen effects just as I didn't notice them way back when.
The memories that I'm most uneasy about re-visiting involve friends and family. My favorite images of childhood include playing hide-and-seek with my cousins on my Grandma's farm, building cardboard box forts with my neighborhood pals, playing kickball on the playground in 2nd grade, and making silly home movies with my best friend in elementary school. In recent years, I've met up with some of those old friends and relatives. And, for the most part, my cherished memories of them have been completely demolished. In the worst case, an old friend from junior high who always used to make me laugh grew up to become a director of gay porn. Now there's something I really didn't want to know.
I think I'm going to leave most of my old memories alone. And go make some new ones with my kids.
Permalink posted by Phil at 9:31 PM
8 Comments:
Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was a kid, we kept a camper trailer at an RV park all year. We were there every weekend and a week over during July 4th. The lake there was crystal clear (no motorized vehicles allowed). I loved it. I live about an hour from there, and I've often wanted to go back and visit, but I'm afraid to. I don't want my adult reality to ruin my childhood memories.
Here are some more TV memories you may or may not want to relive. .
http://www.70slivekidvid.com/index.htm
I can't visit the neighborhood I grew up in. I lovingly call it "The Hood" but it's really a ghetto warzone. My childhood friends tell me today they were afraid to visit my house & couldn't believe I didn't see it. I guess it was just 'home' to me.
But I LOVED Wacky Races! Dudley Dooright could shake his wrecked car out like a sheet and it would be perfect. I wish I could introduce him to the '69 Bug I drove in High School.
Oh yeah - gotta wonder about some of the things from my childhood. But then again, I remember when the monster cereals had those little barrel/ear plug shaped marshmallows. Now, they are 90% marshmallows, and they are HUGE!
On the good foot, I watched an episode of the Muppets the other day - and couldn't take me eyes off of it. It really took me back to a good place. Too bad kids don't have a show (nowadays) that was like the Muppets: Funny, entertaining, and lots of "recent" guest stars.
Shannon
I try those cereals from time to time that I used to beg for...my mom never gave in. They taste like sugar cubes with milk. YUK!
Then I realize that the good ones, corn flakes, cheerios and raisin bran, taste just as good now as they did then.....
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Watching H.R. Pufnstuf as an adult and noticing all the drug references in it, I can't believe how that show made it on the air in the 70's, let alone as a kids show. From the name Pufnstuf (Puffing Stuff) to Witchiepoo blasting the gang with laughing smoke from her saxaphone, the references are unmistakeable.
I know what you mean about childhood friends. I had a group-(and by group I mean lots and lots of kids) that I hung out with regularly and many of them have turned out to be drug addicts, pregnant, in jail, the list goes on. At least we had good clean fun while we were young.
"...and Land of the Lost.
Ok Phil. Land of the Lost is still good. Enok, the yellow sleestak, still rocks.
But yea, I was just emailing an old friend who still lives in the area back home (Tacoma) and he was telling me that he sometimes drives to the clear-cut field that used to be an urban forest where we used to play as kids. All the places we ran, explored, played, and enjoyed our childhood have either been clear-cut or developed.
Our family used to live in a brick house here in CDA, and the new brick addition we built, had the letter "H" made out of horizontal bricks...I drove past it a couple of weeks ago, and the "H" and the bricks were gone, replaced by ugly gray siding. Another memory gone. But I can comfort myself with my old Beatles records which still sound good!
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