5 things I really miss
1. My grandparents – Specifically my maternal grandparents, because my Dad’s father passed before I was born and his mom passed when I was pretty young. My grandparents Nanny & Granddaddy (or Pelo & RD) had a big farm in north Louisiana where we used to spend summers , and even as the urban kid that I was, I loved going there. We kids would take nature walks and put on productions in the living room and my grandparents would play along with all of it. As we got older, the time spent up there became less frequent and as the grandparents got older, our relationships changed. But even with that, they were still amazing people. Granddaddy taught me how to play poker, told really cool (if sometimes overly detailed) army stories, made the perfect root beer float (and knew the best place to buy strawberry shakes), called us all scallywags and started me on my love of a vast array of music by sharing his eclectic and extensive record collection. Nanny had these great old country sayings (that were strangely wise), made the world's best blackberry cobbler, fished incessantly (except on Sunday), let a whole herd of she-thugs play in her hair and paint her nails and drove everyone crazy with her supposed “compliments”. I’m not saying they were perfect, but to me, they were the best grandparents a kid could have.
2. My old car – When Joia bought her Range Rover she gave me her old car. Being a Mercedes Benz SL500 roadster, this was far from the usual hand me down vehicle. Although it was 8 years old when I got it, it was still the best car I could have imagined at the time. I used to speed around in that car, with the top down, and living in that moment like I was Michael Knight and the Mercedes was KITT. I got so much attention in that car, most good, but some bad. Then there were the inevitable testosterone filled males who tried to race me. For the most part I ignored them, but every once in awhile, I would pull off on one just to prove my own point. I mean seriously, do not try to race me if your ride is a Pontiac Grand Am; it’s just pitiful. And there were a few other drawbacks to the car: It only had 2 seats and fit and a minimum of stuff, I got pulled over by the police quite a bit more than I did in my Honda, repairs, parts, and maintenance were outrageously expensive, and there was definitely a type of person the car attracted that I could do without. But I absolutely loved that car and when I was forced to sell it (because it was dying and I couldn’t even begin to afford the repairs), I was sad. Oh well, life is change.
3. The Gallant Knight – Ah, the club of my early 20s. I have such great memories of this place. When Amanda and I started going there in the mid 90s, it had probably already been there 25 years or so. Let’s be honest, it was pretty much a hole in the wall. It was a converted house with no dance floor and always way too packed. But that was part of the charm. The band was always fun, jamming classic soul and funk tunes. And you would end up dancing just inches from some group of people you didn’t know. Over the years, I met all kind of people there, including several really cute guys of all flavors and even one woman who kissed me. (Not my thing, but it was a good kiss). I think one of the best things about that club is how we were always treated there. Pretty much from the beginning, they treated us like family. We never paid to get in, they remembered what we drank, the band would play certain songs for us, and there just was very much a Cheers “Everybody knows your name” vibe I enjoyed there. And it never seemed to matter how long it had been since our last visit, we were always welcomed back in warmly. I think everyone should have that experience, and as much as I’ve been a regular at a few spots since Gallant Knight, I’ve never enjoyed anyplace more.
4. Super Mario World for Super NES – or any video game from back in the 16 bit days when things were easy. True, I play quite a few things and I’ve beat Tomb Raider Legend, God of War, Prince of Persia, but that required a helluva lot of effort. The last game I was just immediately and honestly pretty good at was Tekken 5 for the PS2, and that’s because I’ve been playing (and good at) Tekken for more than 10 years and not a lot has changed. You cannot imagine the trouble I have with Assasins Creed for the PS3. I have to focus really hard to be adequate at this game. It’s hell being a gaming dinosaur. LOL.
5. New Orleans, Pre-Katrina – Don’t misunderstand me, New Orleans is still a wonderful place, both to visit and to live. But, in a lot of areas, it is markedly different than it was just a few years ago. Everything here is thought of in terms of pre- and post-Katrina. It’s amazing how quickly some things can change and how some things revert to their original state so easily. New Orleans has a new normal these days and it’s somewhat exhilarating to see (and be party to) such a shift. However, there are so many things I miss from Pre-K NOLA, not the least of which is the carefree feeling that this town used to possess. There is very much a sense of trepidation and a worry of “what-if” that didn’t exist here before Katrina. On the other hand, the fear of losing more of the culture is causing people to be a lot more cognizant of what is happening locally and in a lot of cases, step up and get involved in the community and in preserving their heritage. I have to believe that this tragedy went down for a reason and that this new New Orleans has come to be for a good reason. And maybe that’s it. So, we persevere here in NOLA and try to learn all of the new steps and hurdles, because we have to. It may not be the City that Care Forgot any longer, but it is still New Orleans.
um.
ReplyDeletesuper nes = 16-bit, no?
(cringe)
You are correct. You are also a nerd. LOL
ReplyDelete