Hangin' Tough

I remember the exact moment that I crossed over. I walked up to the check-out aisle of the store, money stuffed tightly in my fist. I was wearing blue jeans tightly rolled above the two different colored socks I wore (one stacked on top of the other) and bright white Keds on my feet. My hair was permed in an ungodly curly-all-over-your-head way (bad layers) so that I knew when people were looking at me they were trying to decide if that was really me or if I had a poodle on my head. But I didn't care at that moment, because at that moment I was joining the ranks of people who worshipped at the house of The New Kids on the Block. My welcome gift? The black, plastic wristwatch that had a picture of the New Kids on a flip-up top under which was a digital clock.

My friends had been New Kids fans for quite a while, but I maintained that they (the New Kids, not my friends) were stupid. I turned my nose up anytime someone would mention them. I think most of my disdain was that I just wasn't the kind of kid that was allowed to do things, like listen to the radio. I didn't know anything about the New Kids--their music, their memorabilia, their posters. My room was decorated with anti-abortion posters. Posters of music groups were frowned upon--only girls who lusted after boys would put up a poster of a music group in their room.

Secretly, though, I think I envied the life. I wished that I could have a New Kids t-shirt. Finally, just as the New Kids were on the cusp of turning from popular boy band into late night joke fodder, I crossed over. I saved up my own money and bought myself a New Kids wristwatch. I believe that the wristwatch was a gateway drug; it opened me up to all kinds of pop culture. Sure, at times I had to go underground because all of that silliness was "of the world," but I felt like I was really being a teen.

Now the New Kids are making a comeback. They're performing in the twin cities this weekend and people have been lined up since 3:30 in the morning to see them. People are reminiscing about their own New Kids experiences. Me, I always remember the New Kids as my gateway. Their wristwatch is long gone, but the experience of having joined the rest of the population, although late, is still with me.