Headed up to Germany for a few days, be back either Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, sit back and relax...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Did I ever tell you about the time...
...that I called my mom a dildo?
A little background first; we grew up about 200 yards from an X-rated outdoor drive in theater. Growing up, we would often find dirty magazines and stuff like that on the side of the road and of course, being little perverts, we would pick them up and keep them in our tree forts. I was really too young to understand most of the stuff in there but I recall reading one and seeing an ad for something called a dildo. There was no picture so I had no clue what it was, I only knew it must be something dirty if it was in a dirty magazine.
So one Sunday afternoon after church we decided to all play Monopoly as a family, my mother, my sister, my brother and I. I think I was 10 or 11 at the time. A while into the game I was close to being out of money as I rolled the dice. I ended up landing on one of my mom's properties, which just happened to have a hotel on it. I could not afford the rent so I was out of the game. I got so mad I wanted to call my mother a name but swearing was not allowed in Judy's house so I blurted out the only other thing that popped into my mind and yelled "You...DILDO!"
Oops.
The room got very silent very quick and the ashen look on my mother's face made me realize right away that the word dildo was...well...probably not a good thing to call your mother. After a few tense seconds, my brother and sister started laughing and my brother exclaimed "Ricky, do you know what you just said?!". I of course did not so I pleaded ignorance. Thank God my mother accepted this and let me off with a stern warning to never...EVER...let her hear that word again.
Looking back, it was quite a funny moment...but still not as funny as the time I called her a motherf****r...
A little background first; we grew up about 200 yards from an X-rated outdoor drive in theater. Growing up, we would often find dirty magazines and stuff like that on the side of the road and of course, being little perverts, we would pick them up and keep them in our tree forts. I was really too young to understand most of the stuff in there but I recall reading one and seeing an ad for something called a dildo. There was no picture so I had no clue what it was, I only knew it must be something dirty if it was in a dirty magazine.
So one Sunday afternoon after church we decided to all play Monopoly as a family, my mother, my sister, my brother and I. I think I was 10 or 11 at the time. A while into the game I was close to being out of money as I rolled the dice. I ended up landing on one of my mom's properties, which just happened to have a hotel on it. I could not afford the rent so I was out of the game. I got so mad I wanted to call my mother a name but swearing was not allowed in Judy's house so I blurted out the only other thing that popped into my mind and yelled "You...DILDO!"
Oops.
The room got very silent very quick and the ashen look on my mother's face made me realize right away that the word dildo was...well...probably not a good thing to call your mother. After a few tense seconds, my brother and sister started laughing and my brother exclaimed "Ricky, do you know what you just said?!". I of course did not so I pleaded ignorance. Thank God my mother accepted this and let me off with a stern warning to never...EVER...let her hear that word again.
Looking back, it was quite a funny moment...but still not as funny as the time I called her a motherf****r...
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The soundtrack of my life
There are several songs that occupy special places in my mind for various reasons. Some remind me of friends or girlfriends past, some instantly whisk me off to a certain time in my life every time I hear them, some bring back memories of a particular moment or happening. There are some however that just sort of, for lack of a better term, "sum things up". One such song is "Rocky Mountain High" by the late John Denver.
I've heard the song since I was a kid but it never held any kind of meaning for me until I left for Europe back in 1998. The lyrics of the song are about a young man coming to the Rocky Mountains and being reborn by the beauty of what he encounters. I've always loved the song and used to listen to it often and then one day the meaning changed for me when I pondered the opening verse:
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
you might say he found the key to every door
It occurred to me that I was also in my 27th year when I came to Europe and, as I arrived in May, the summer of my 27th year was when it all changed for me. Although it's hard to explain, the second line - "coming home to a place he'd never been before" - also had personal meaning to me. My family are all French Canadians, I'd studied and tutored French in high school and college and had always wanted to see the land of my ancestors. The first time I went to France, it was a feeling of coming home even though I'd never been there.
What eventually dawned on me (I'm a little slow...) is that if you replace the Rocky Mountains with Europe, the song could almost describe my situation exactly. Like the man in the song, I had come to a different place in my 27th year and without even realizing it, was practically reborn into a new life, leaving my old one behind.
"Rocky Mountain High"...part of the soundtrack of my life.
I've heard the song since I was a kid but it never held any kind of meaning for me until I left for Europe back in 1998. The lyrics of the song are about a young man coming to the Rocky Mountains and being reborn by the beauty of what he encounters. I've always loved the song and used to listen to it often and then one day the meaning changed for me when I pondered the opening verse:
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
you might say he found the key to every door
It occurred to me that I was also in my 27th year when I came to Europe and, as I arrived in May, the summer of my 27th year was when it all changed for me. Although it's hard to explain, the second line - "coming home to a place he'd never been before" - also had personal meaning to me. My family are all French Canadians, I'd studied and tutored French in high school and college and had always wanted to see the land of my ancestors. The first time I went to France, it was a feeling of coming home even though I'd never been there.
What eventually dawned on me (I'm a little slow...) is that if you replace the Rocky Mountains with Europe, the song could almost describe my situation exactly. Like the man in the song, I had come to a different place in my 27th year and without even realizing it, was practically reborn into a new life, leaving my old one behind.
"Rocky Mountain High"...part of the soundtrack of my life.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Amazing.
My favorite clip from a show over here called "Ti lascio una cansone" (which translates roughly as "Leaving you a song"). The premise of the show is that young people give their interpretations of Italy's most beloved songs from generations gone by. It's kind of a way to ensure that the greatest songs in Italy's history are not forgotten by the younger generation.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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