Some time last week, I was having a normal day working while listening to music. The day was pretty normal; nothing exciting had happened. Then, all of a sudden, a certain song came on that was performed on one of my favorite shows from childhood.
As soon as the song came on, I was taken back to 1988, when the song was originally performed. What was I doing in 1988?
I remember…
…where I lived. Fort Dix, New Jersey (not far from New York City) was home. I would have been around 8 or 9, so third or fourth grade.
…riding bikes. My sisters and I and our friends would spend hours riding our bikes around our neighborhood. We used to think the neighboring Elm Street hid some sort of creepy being that could be likened to Freddy Kruger of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies.
…getting caught. A small group of us kids witnessed some random teenagers making out in a backyard, and we were eventually caught. The teenagers heard our snickering, got up, and immediately started pelting us with rocks as we ran away hysterically laughing.
…the weekend. Weekend trips to New York City were the norm pretty much every month. We would visit Welita, my mom’s mom; Mama, my aunt; and Maria, my cousin. Fun times were had every visit. The highlights for me, every single visit, included riding the subway, getting Dominican suspiro (meringue) from the little bakery on Dyckman Street, buying junk food from the downstairs bodega, and just having fun playing and running around in the apartment.
…doing stupid shit. My sisters, cousin, and I decided it would be a good idea one day to fill a cup with water and dump it out the window more than once. We couldn’t stop laughing at how absurd it was that we were throwing water out a window and possibly dousing innocent people in falling water.
…doing more stupid shit. We ordered VHS movies and music cassettes through Columbia House and BMG and put either Welita’s name or Mama’s on the order form. We could never stop laughing at the fact that we actually ended up mailing the order forms, and the videos and cassettes eventually showed up at the apartment!
…doing even more stupid shit. We would call 1–900 numbers but would always get caught. Hello, phone bill.
…a scary moment. My youngest sister and I were trapped on a subway train after the doors closed and before my mom and sister Pam could step onto the train. With both of us crying, I held my little sister as the train journeyed to our eventual stop. Before that could happen, a random guy, probably in his twenties, escorted us off the train at a stop. He walked us to a police station located in the subway station, where we eventually reunited with my mom and Pam.
…the library. The neighborhood branch of the New York Public Library is where I learned to weave a bracelet on a loom. I also played a witch in a library theater production. The best part about playing a witch in this production? We witches got to drink Hi-C Ecto-Cooler.
…Park Avenue (or “downtown” as we called it). My sister Pam, Maria, and I dressed up and joined Mama on an excursion to Park Avenue. I’ll never forget how in awe I was of the modern buildings, cleaner sidewalks, and well-dressed people everywhere in this part of the city
…lots of stickers. One of my crowning achievements was acquiring every single sticker for my DuckTales Panini sticker book thanks in part to the little convenience store on the hill on 207th Street.
…when my fear of cats began. E.T., their orange tabby, was once hiding behind a dresser, with nothing but the top of his head and paws in view. I was playing with E.T. by inching ever so close to him when, all of a sudden, one of his paws reached out and scratched my nose. I would remain afraid of cats pretty much my entire childhood.
…the jingle. The Mister Softee truck would pull up downstairs at the corner in front of the bodega. As soon my sisters, cousin, and I heard that all-too-familiar jingle, we’d get some cash from one of the adults and race downstairs before Mister Softee left.
So many memories. I could go on and on and write about many more.
At this point, you’re probably wondering, “Well, what was the song that brought all these memories for you?”
First off, I’d like to thank the musical group BETTY, for unknowingly flooding my head with so many memories from such a short period in my childhood.
The song that happily interrupted that particular day was…
Echo by BETTY!
BETTY performed Echo on one of my favorite childhood shows: Encyclopedia. Many years later, I still can’t get enough of that show or song.
Thank you, BETTY, for being such an integral and fun part of my childhood.
Who else remembers BETTY and Encyclopedia on HBO? What was your favorite episode or song? Let me know in the comments below!
