About a week ago, Deb Rox tagged me to do the “Five Random Things About Me” meme that’s making its way around the blogosphere. Sort of. Okay, I think she tagged everybody. ANYWAY…
I’m putting my own spin on it by sticking to stuff from my childhood. I imagine these five things probably wouldn’t make very interesting posts separately and in fact now that I think about it, clustering them might not be very interesting either. Oh well, it’s NaBloPoMo Day 2 and I’m going for it.
1. One of my biggest, proudest accomplishments in third grade was the time I became a Lemon Twist Champion by doing one thousand twists without tripping or stopping. My gym teacher gave me a paper certificate that had a little yellow felt lemon with “1000” written on it with black Sharpie stapled in the bottom right corner. I still have this certificate in a box in my crawlspace.
2. I got my first taste of girl drama in fourth grade when I was talking on the phone to one of my best friends about a boy who was the subject of my first crush. I was telling her how dreamy he was and she kept asking me questions to further draw out more information and emotion, and then suddenly she said, “Guess who’s on the phone with us, listening?” (Hint: It was him. Did I mention he was her neighbor?) That call destroyed me for a few days. By the way, my anger was short-lived: I forgave her and he eventually became a good friend.
3. My favorite television show back then was “Charlie’s Angels”. Kate Jackson’s Sabrina was my favorite angel, by far. She was pretty, smart AND sassy, and I found her fascinating. Whenever I had to come up with a girl’s name for writing, Barbies, or role-playing with friends, it was almost always Sabrina.
4. In fifth grade I became a member of our school Safety Patrol. I applied for it at my mom’s insistence and I had no desire to do it, but I have to admit that once I was the right-hand girl for the crossing guard on the major street near my house, I might have really enjoyed the power trip.
5. My family was preparing to move to Texas in the summer after fifth grade, and I was trying to soak up all of the “lasts” in my hometown. One day I walked over to the shopping center by myself (totally safe in those days) for one last time to get some Swedish Fish from Sears. Before going home I made a detour to the record store where I bought, for ninety-nine cents, the 45rpm of “Double Dutch Bus”, which I had wanted so badly; I was determined to get it that day if it killed me. I got in tremendous trouble when I returned home because I was gone for too long and my mom had been worried, but—other than the “getting in trouble” part—the freedom I experienced that day while shopping all by myself remains one of my favorite childhood memories…and “Double Dutch Bus” remains one of my favorite songs of all time.
And now? I’m tagging you. All of you.
30 Comments
Heather
Ha! I love this…oh, nostalgia, how I love you. And…such a great idea for a post during #NaBloPoMo that shouldn’t take me hours to write. Oh wait, it may take me hours to decide what to share…hmmmm…
Melisa Wells
The great thing about this kind of meme is that it’s simple and you can develop your ideas while showering or something! 🙂
Lisa
OMGee…I loved my Lemon Twist, too! What fun memories.
Melisa Wells
So much fun from such a simple little toy. Kids these days don’t have a lot of that!
daniel
I was always partial to Kate Jackson myself.
Melisa Wells
She was the whole package, you know? She does seem to be the most popular Angel. Back then I don’t remember it that way…
Jessica
What fun memories! I love the story of the freedom of shopping on your own.
Melisa Wells
It’s a shame that it’s not safe these days…sad, you know?
as cape cod turns
Yay! Something to write about tomorrow 🙂 And 1000 skip it/lemonhead things, very impressive!!!
Melisa Wells
Right?? 1000 was huge! I could probably only do 20 today. 🙂
Paula @ Frosted Fingers
I was on safety patrol as well. I loved it!
Melisa Wells
*high five*
It WAS kind of fun once I got to hold the Stop sign. 🙂
Headless Mom
I’m totally doing this sometime this week too. I saw that Elan had done it so I was going to do it anyway but now! With more motivation!
PS-Sabrina was my favorite too!
Melisa Wells
Woo hoo! Can’t wait to read it! I liked this one because I was able to write it in less than fifteen minutes. 🙂 Some of those memes are WAY! TOO! LONG!
Tara R.
I feel cheated… I don’t know what Lemon Twist is. I liked Sabrina too, she was so not Farrah.
Melisa Wells
“So not Farrah” is exactly why I liked her. 🙂
Angie Mizzell
I was a “Safety” too. It was a way to boss the younger kids around. Definitely a power trip. But the orange vest badge thing was a bit ridicky. 🙂
Melisa Wells
“I was a ‘safety’ too” made me LOLOLOLOLOL
*high five!*
Momo
I honestly can’t think of anyone better for safety patrol.
Melisa Wells
Forgot to respond to this…
I detect sarcasm although I know you’re totally serious. 🙂
Jennifer
Melisa, organizing people and keeping them in line since 5th grade. Somehow this does not surprise me at all. 😉
Melisa Wells
LOL! Surprises very few people. 🙂
Kim
Thank you so much for reminding me of the lemon twist. I was pretty good at skipping the ol’ citrus back in the day. I don’t have a certificate, though. Bummer.
Melisa Wells
I bet you can find one on Pinterest! 🙂
Nicole @MTDLBlog
Isn’t it something how we could go off on our own when we were kids? I have mini-panic attacks letting my kids walk down the street alone. Different feel to the world now.
And, 1000 turns? That’s an accomplishment…for real. I would have fallen over after like 10.
Melisa Wells
Not if you had MY gym teacher: we had a whole lemon twist unit! LOL (lots of practice)
Elaine A.
I LOVED Safety Patrol!! That was one of the main reasons I could not wait for 5th grade! HA!
Katie is here right now, in my office getting down to Double Dutch Bus! HA HA HA HA!!
Melisa Wells
Now I need to watch the video for the two hundredth time. 🙂
Angela
I was not a safety, because even then I hated the cold 🙂 I thought the neon belts were super cool, though!
Kimberly
See I think that the new Charlie’s Angels ruined the classic for me. I never saw the originals but I really didn’t care for the movie. Gah. Why do the wreck a good thing! And you did 1000…like three 000 after the 1? Damn girl!! Go on with your twisting self!!