Reading this article about the best toys of the 80’s and discovering that all were meant for boys was somewhat shocking for me. You see, I was a tom boy. I had friends of both genders, but preferred boys and their toys over the girly toy or activity du jour any day! I fondly remember playing with transformers and watching Pee Wee’s Big Adventure at my friend Nathaniel’s house after school. When it got to the scene with the trucker telling the story of “Large Marge” we would pause it at the scary face and run into his room and laugh and scream! It was the best, y’all, I can assure you!

But dude! The 80’s were full of fab toys! I cannot say enough about my love of the Speak ‘N Spell! I loved that thing! I remember struggling with the word ANGEL and when I finally got it and the robot voice said, “Correct” I was elated! I felt as though I had climbed a damned mountain! And while I enjoyed more boy oriented activities and toys, I did have quite a few Barbies. Some were passed down from my great grandma, until my brother ripped all of their heads off (the old ones wouldn’t just pop back on). My fave Barbie? It’s a tie: Astronaut Barbie, who also moonlighted as a figure skater (you could pop blades right into her moon boots and of course she came with a tu-tu) & Miko Barbie who looked Hawaiian or Polynesian and was just soooooo beautiful! She had freckles (like me!) and long black hair, like way longer than any blond Barbie, you guys! Ha-ha! I dreamed of her glamorous life!  I never quite got the hang of my pogo ball and then my uncle broke it anyway. And She-Ra! One of my grandmas got me the horse for the enemy lady, but I just pretended that She-Ra saved and re-trained the horse to be good. Ha-ha!

I mention all of this because I was talking with a friend about various things from our childhood and when I explained that I used to be a bit athletic she asked what sports I liked. Well, in 6th grade I was on the Jr. U.S.T.A. (Tennis, yo) and loved Volleyball, but Basketball was my fave at the time. I would play basketball at every recess & lunch hour with my two friends Iesha & Mabel (oh how I miss them and wonder where they are).

But then? Well, then boys took over my entire life! That and getting bullied. I had never been bullied other than the jerk kids on my street making fun of me from time to time (for being poor, redheaded, weird, etc). I had my first taste of getting bullied on that basketball court in 6th grade. It was indirect. The boy I mega-crazy-crushed-on came up to me and said, “Kelly says you’re a bitch” flatly. I looked right at him and said, “I am a bitch, so what?!” It was an out of body experience, for sure! He just stared at me like I suddenly turned into a bright blue monster. Then he walked away, presumably to re-tell what I had just said. Ugh! 7th grade was a nightmare of drama, bullies by the dozen (more like 20-30) and boys-boys-boys! I gave up any and all sports.

This past weekend, while perusing our local Target, my husband and I happened upon the ball aisle. (Not to be confused with any type of male hygiene aisle.) I tried out a few different balls and was curious about how a basketball would feel in my 32 year old hands. After a couple I noticed that they didn’t seem as springy-bouncy-taught as I had remembered. Then tried a couple more. My husband ended up buying me one which was aqua-green-black and a 28.5 incher instead of the pro 29.5 size. It’s so cool looking! I haven’t been on a court since early 7th grade and well, I’m a bit nervous! But I want to just shoot hoops. Nothing wrong with that, right? So why am I so worried? He wanted to go to the park that same day, but I had so much to do at home I just couldn’t do it. Now I’m thinking it was nerves.

Maybe this coming Sunday I will give it a go! I say maybe only because I have a lot of sewing to do and I’m on a deadline, but I want to and it would only be like 30 minutes, so why not? But again, nerves! Ah! I don’t know. It just seems so weird. I feel so old yet so young simultaneously. Hard to describe. Just like when I go to the goth club with my BFF. I don’t feel like I fit in, but at the same time I do.

Have you been wanting to take up something you used to love? What do you miss about growing up? What makes you nervous about diving into? Tell me all about it! =0)