The Eighties...What Were We Thinking?

Yesterday while still in the recovery period from our bout with the stomach flu, Massey and I were laying in bed bundled up together watching VH1 "classic videos"from the eighties. Massey's first comment was "Ya'll had some BIG hair, my hair would have fit right in." She also commented that it wasn't just the girls...she asked me why every guy had a mullet and I told her they all worked really hard to achieve them, using blow dryers and plenty of hair spray. A video of "New Edition" came on and I told her the little guy with the red "members only " jacket was Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston's ex husband.

She actually Laughed at Huey Lewis and the News (how dare her) and wanted to know why John Cougar wore chaps when he wasn't on a horse or a motorcycle?

When a video of Poison came on she said the guys wore more make up than the girls. Thank goodness they didn't show a "Queen" video while we were watching.

She was very intrigued by the early Madonna and Cyndi Lauper videos and commented that they looked cool. I told her to remind me to rent "Desperately Seeking Susan" for her and she would be in Heaven. The blast from the past that even jolted MY memory bank was the video of the boys group from Kingston "Pass the deuchtie on the left hand side." Do you remember THAT one?

I dug up these pictures and just HAD to post them . The first ones are from girl's trips to Fort Walton back in the early eighties and parties that we had when I was working for Johnny's Pizza on Virginia Ave , when there were only two stores (compared to the 100 some odd stores they have now.)

We progress to right after I first met Tim and TJ was around three. Tim had a pretty impressive mullet so I decided to drag him into this with me. Why just embarrass myself when I can make fun of my husband too?

What really amazes me is that even after Zach was born...I was still clinging to that eighties look . The look on my father's face says it all. He probably said "Hand me a basket ball to hold so I won't have to stare in in embarrassment at what my daughter is wearing." I wish you could see the bottom of the picture...I had on orange combat boots.

The silky sequin dresses..the huge hair (at least I didn't dye mine platinum blonde) and how about that denim dress that I can actually remember paying a butt load of money for??

WHAT IN THE HELL WERE WE THINKING??

The eighties were a time that everyone was trying to out shock the other person, and if they did...they would be a trend setter. The eighties were the years of my wild rebellious youth. They are years I am grateful for...they are behind me now but at least I had them when I WAS twenty.

Kids sometimes try to grow up too quickly, get married and act like they are adults...only to try and re-live their youth twenty years later when it is too late and people are laughing behind their backs at their hideous toupee or sequin tank top barely covering their sagging breasts that have fed a family of five.

At least I was young and stupid when I WAS young and stupid.

Either way, it's still fun to look back at what I thought looked cool and you know what? In twenty years...these pictures will most probably be the "IN" fashion again. Thank God by then I will be sitting in my rascal covered with a crocheted quilt saying to my grand kids "I had that dress first! Now give me my Jitterbug I need to call your daddy about my subscription to "Oprah as a Senior."

Till next time... Continually Aging Cotton

PS remember to click on the photos so you can laugh at me in full size...that is the way I laugh at myself every day!