I am one of the most sentimental people you will ever meet. I can watch the same movie over and over and cry at the exact same scenes. I will also laugh like a hyena at my favorite comedies, then watch them all over again and laugh just as hard. I have a fantastic memory. I can remember every insignificant piece of information I've ever heard.Yes, you heard that right. I am a wealth of useless knowledge.
I do, also,find great joy in remembering a lot of the "first" things I have ever done in my life. What exactly do I mean by "first's"? I mean, the first thing I ever did on my own just because I wanted to.
The first record album I ever bought with my own money was from a store called The Disc Jockey. It was located inside The Lockport Mall. Oh my Lord, the hours I spent perusing the bins full of records in that place. The album was Supertramp- Breakfast in America. I was obsessed with The Logical Song. I would play it on my grandparents' record player over and over again. I still have that bad habit of listening to music I love repetitively. What can I say? Old habits die hard 😬.
My brother and I were HUGE Kiss fans. I remember when they released their solo albums. I loved Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, so, of course, I had their albums. My brother loved Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and he had theirs. I always tell people although I have never served in the military, I was in the Kiss Army from 1976 to 1980. Those four years were enough, and unfortunately, after that, I did not re-up. Sorry guys. You know, I don't think I have willingly listened to a KISS song since 1980. What can I say? I grew up, and my musical taste pivoted 😬.
The first concert I ever went to was REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. I was not a Cheap Trick fan, but I was a HUGE REO Speedwagon one. Two of my very best friends and I sat way up in nosebleed land but I could have cared less. I felt like I was on top of the world that night. I was on my feet singing my heart out all night long.
I have been fortunate to see many great bands over the years. Do yourself a favor. If there's somebody you want to see and it's within your power to do it, go to the show. I'm still bitter that I never got to see Tom Petty but it's okay. Now I know. You wanna see the show? Your ass better go.
The first time I realized I was a music loving lunatic was when I was in the eighth grade at St. John's Catholic School. Our teacher had given us an assignment to do book a report on a historical figure. The class gave the typical biography book reports you expect such as Abraham Lincoln,George Washington or Rosa Parks. But not this girl. Mrs Eick got to read my true feelings and thoughts about Jim Morrison - based on the book, "No One Here Gets Out Alive" I guess I really was ahead of my time 😆.
I have always been a reader. I've always been a writer. When I was in the eighth grade I wrote a book called "A Nightmare on Chestnut Street". St. John's school was on Chestnut Street. You can only imagine what that was about 🤢.
That brings me to my next first. The first R-Rated movie I ever snuck into was A Nightmare on Elm Street. About two blocks from my house growing up was a beautiful old movie theater called the Palace. It's still their and they still show movies from time to time. My friend and I somehow managed to convince the workers at the ticket window that we were 17 years old. There was NO WAY we passed for 17 😣 but we paid our two dollars each and watched the movie.
That movie made quite an impression on me. I still love the old school horror movies. You know, Halloween ,Friday the 13th ,Chucky and yes, Nightmare on Elm Street. I don't really have patience or the stomach for gratuitous gore and violence.I do however have the patience to watch a guy slowly walk like he has a stick up his butt, brandishing a knife just to chase a babysitter. Hey u would be cranky to- that stick can not be comfortable 😣
The first time I realized, I had a Great sense of humor can't be defined in just one "firsts". I have to break it down to about three "firsts"
The first one would be when I was 12 years old. Every Sunday night I would go to bed knowing I needed to get up for school in the morning. Instead of sleeping I would put my earphones on,break out my old black transistor radio, and tune in to the Dr. Demento show live from Toronto. I would lay in bed, laughing at everything from Weird Al- that was the first time I heard him live doing Another some Rides the Bus.How could I forget Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks doing the thousand-year-old man. Who knew according to Mel that the secret to getting to be 1,000 years old was simply to eat fruit. God I laughed. Let's not forget MAD Magazine. Alfred E Neumann could run for President this year and I'd vote for him.
The first time I realized I was refining my humor to include sarcasm would have to be when my wonderful cousin Craig said to me "Annette ,do you know God has a sense of humor?" Me being me and never able to contain myself said to him, "Of course he has a sense of humor he made you didn't he?"Always thought that was a good one, but he confirmed to me years later that I was correct it was indeed a good one 😆 mic drops weren't invented back then but it would have been very fitting at that moment.
Another first for me with humor would be realizing how importance it would be in my life. You know it's absolutely impossible to be angry or mad if you're laughing. Many people have even told me that i'm not serious enough. I can tell you from my life experience there's plenty of times I've had to be very serious. Being to serious can break you.Now I choose to laugh. It's like medicine for your soul and I don't plan on ever stopping. I plan to laugh through many more "firsts" in my life and you should too. I hope I made you stop and think about your "firsts" It's good to reminisce. Love you guys.