The way we were

The Parent Bloggers Network is having a blog blast that I can really get behind: “Write a post on your blog telling us (and showing us!) what objects your spouse (or you) keep hanging onto for dear life.” There’s nothing I like more than nostalgia, reminiscing, all things retro and taking shitty photos, so here we go, but first a message from our sponsors: https://www.billmelater.com/index.xhtml?s_kwcid=[PBN]

My husband and I are both a weird combo of hanging on to things for remembrance’s sake and ruthless purgers. I think that fact that we have lived in 4 different places in our 8 years together has encouraged us to trash many things. When stuff sits in a box for years it’s usually a sign to get rid of it . . . unless it’s from your childhood or teen years or that really cool shell that you found somewhere nine years ago.

So, let’s take a look at some of D. Sr.’s gems first. The thing to keep in mind is that my husband used to be a long-haired, metal aficionado who may have dabbled in things that I don’t want to know about. He refers to this portion of his past as the “dark years” and although he looks like an idiot in all the photos that exist from this time, I have to admit that I was taken aback when a scary looking biker dude tapped on the window of our car just to say “hi”?! So while he used to be a long-haired, metal loving, bad-ass, my dear D. Sr. is now just a metal loving Dad of the Year and all around great guy.

First here is the box where most of his items are kept. The fact that it’s a Reebok shoebox kinda says it all, doesn’t it? Note that the sale sticker is from Woodward’s and this is back when things were made in places other than China.






In the box, we have a nice assortment of metalia . . . a JD lighter, a flask and some kind of chain. There is some kind of “chopper” cross ring as well and a doo rag. He also has a Tigger from times of yore that is decked out in some very well worn skull and horn rings. Whee!

Here is an assortment of items that encapsulates why I married this guy: his plush animals from times past and a Pet Rock! How cute is this?

I think the things that we choose to hang on to remind us of our former “different” selves. Not necessarily our better selves, but the selves that every now and then we wish we could go back to or that we reminisce fondly about; the selves that it is easy to forget about until something triggers a memory. For me, that self is my early 20s self. I am pretty ruthless when it comes to hanging on to clothes, but there are two items in my closet that I cannot ever get rid of, even though I know I will never wear them again. These items more or less sum up my early 20s.

The jacket below was my mom’s. She wore it in the 60s and I wore it in the 90s. It is suede and damaged and falling apart and boho and has that thrift shop look. When I was slightly obsessed with the Beat Generation and all their writings it was the best coat ever (yes, I still have all the books, but now every time I thumb through one there is a voice in my head saying, "Get off the stuff and get a job already!"). The jacket reminds me of a time in a galaxy far, far, away when I could wear size 7 or 9 and felt hip and cool and could quote Burroughs and Kerouac even if I was falling down drunk.




This little black floral dress was quite aptly nicknamed “The Get Lucky Dress” by one of my pals. It was a staple in my early 20s and, um, lived up to its name. It reminds me of a time in a galaxy far, far, away when I got lucky. Even if I dropped the “fat and married” mom weight I know that I would never wear this dress again, as it just SO cute and adorable (and short!) and a dress for a GIRL . . . which sadly I’m not. Ah, The Get Lucky Dress brings back a lot of memories such as “The DNA Bed”. . . but that’s another story (a story that sounds grosser than it is; well, maybe not, but at least much of the DNA didn't involve me!).

The other self that is well-represented in my memorabilia is my childhood self. I still have my very well-loved and worn out Blanky. He's a semblance of his former self through my mom’s many patchwork repair attempts. So much so, in fact, that NONE of the fabric showing on the pics below is that of my original blanky! Look at all the stuffing coming out and his many holes - poor Blanky. Blanky's delicate condition means that he is relegated to storage, but I was so happy to dig him out of the box for a photo op!

I still have many of my old toys and books! Remember Fashion Plates? Remember the novelized version of ET? Remember Little Golden Books that came with records? I still have them all somewhere. I kept my favourite dolls, too. Below are Brenda and Annie. Brenda is the one sporting legs that are masking taped to her torso. Annie is wearing a red dress that my GREAT-GRANDMA knit. I dug them out of storage when LE was born and now D. Jr. sleeps with them and “takes care of” them, although this often involves them being run over by vehicles or attacked by dinosaurs or mercilessly thrown to the ground. It’s a risk I’m willing to take with these gals, my first babies . . . now that Toy Story 1 an 2 are in continuous rotation at our house, I felt compelled to give the girls a second chance at toyhood.

So there you have it, a random sampling of our many enduring tokens from the past. My home is currently filled to the brim with L.E. and D. Jr's toys and kidgear, and I can't help but wonder about which of their items will somehow survive into their adulthood as part of their favourite memories. I really hope Annie and Brenda will be there . . . although I suspect they may be one-legged, tattered and torn semblances of their former selves.