The Big Two-Eight

Unbelievable. Today is my birthday for the 28th year in a row. The years seem to come and go faster every year and I cannot stop it! Usually on the week of my birthday I feel as if I'm on a holiday week...an extra serving of dessert, a splurge in the mall, an extra hour of sleep, etc. (And yes, it's 'My Little Pony')

This year, this "holiday week" has been an interesting one. I've been thinking about the past and a WHOLE lot about the future. It makes me anxious to think about where I've come from and where I'm headed.

Announcements to my 10 year high-school reunion (Go, Trojans!) have already begun to surface in the local papers. I always thought I'd be the first one to buy tickets to my reunion. However, the past has now caught up to me and now I'm hesistant to attend all together. To some, 10 years is not enough time to create and live a life. For others, 10 years is enough time to create a whole family! Seeing old classmates at the reunion will be like a slap in the face for me. My age will catch up to me when I see how much my classmates have changed. Some may be balding, others graying, some fatter, and others skinnier. I'm scared to see wrinkles in other people's faces or perhaps what a true "28 year-old" should look like.

Reliving the past. Has calls me crazy because I remember the strangest things about people, places, conversations, and events. But, those who know me best know that I LOVE to revisit memories about the 1980s. Way before "I Love the 80s" aired on VH1, I LOVED to revisit the cartoons, fads, and toys of the 80s. I'd spend hours in the dining hall at UMBC talking about "Silverhawks" or "Transformers" trying to see if anyone remembered just as much as I have. Since then, I haven't stopped since. With the advent of the internet and eBay, I have been able to read, see, and hear old television shows and toys.

I don't know why I do it. Maybe I'm one "energon cube" away from attending Star Trek conventions or perhaps I truly enjoyed this part of my life. Or maybe I'm afraid of forgetting about my childhood and have nothing left but my "adulthood" memories. Who wants only that?!?!? I feel that it keeps me young and the gears in my aging brain turning. Revisiting my past memories keep things fresh. Talking to others about the 80s helps me remember the things that I have forgotten. It's the little details like, "What was the name of Huey, Duey, and Luey's nanny in 'DuckTales'?" (Shout out, Kamran!) that cause a lightbulb to turn on in my head. If I forget about these details and never care to revisit them, then my memories as a child are gone-FOREVER.

So in reaction to this week, I have requested that the following DVDs be sent to my home via Netflix:

1) Labyrinth: I just finished this movie with David Bowie and a young Jennifer Conneley. I never thought David Bowie was indimidating as the "Goblin King" or even "Dance, Magic, Dance" attractive. I also forgot about those biting fairies!



2) Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer: I can't wait for this to come...what I remember most is her her cool rainbow belt and how she fed it star sprinkles!
3) Return to Oz: I remember a crazy Dorothy in an insane asylum and a headless witch who chose a "head" like it was a hat.


4) Legend: A young Tom Cruise in a magical land where fairy dust and pollen floated everywhere...at true asthmatic's nightmare.
5) The Care Bears Movie: "Care Bears Stare! Five, four, three, two, one!"
6) The Dark Crystal: Can't recall much...mouse-like people, Jim Henson puppet movie.
7) The Secret of N-I-H-M: Can't recall much either except a homely mouse is reluctant to go a quest.


8) The Last Unicorn: I actually bought this on VHS (remember those?!?!) when I was in college.
9) Transformers: The Movie: A true "classic" and Optimus will forever be alive in my heart.

To make things worse, I have also joined the "RetroJunk.com" crew where I can now rehash about everything 80s. I know, I know...I'm a freak, but now I can join others who share my obsession!.

As for the uncertain future, I am preparing for the nurse practitioner board exam in March. Will I pass? I have no idea. Once it happens, I can stop working as a nurse in the PICU and work as an NP "somewhere".

30 years is the beginning of the third decade of life. I am only 2 years away from this milestone. My mom assures me that this does not mean anything, but I have surpassed her age when she first became my mother. Just another thing I've been thinking about a little bit more everyday...