The 90s: The Era I Will Not Forget.
I will forever love the ‘90s
🎉This is my first article for Illumination Mirror. Let’s see how this goes🎉👀
“Friday night and the weekends here” is often heard after school. I looked forward to going home and ditching my homework and preparing to watch the TGIF lineup, which included Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step by Step, and Full House.
It was a time of peace amid the storms of the crack epidemic. Seeing needles and drug addicts strung out on the sidewalks is something that stays with you. Watching commercials about your brain on drugs is something that can traumatize any child in the South Bronx.
Television shows and outside play became our outlet. School House Rock on Channel 7(ABC) taught me lessons that helped me with my classes. Double Dutch on the weekends, Franks, and French fries for dinner were a child’s dream in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
The war on drugs became a war on the people. Picture playing in the park and kicking needles like candy. It was a time of hardships for my parents, I could imagine. But as a child, I didn’t care. My parents were home safe; my siblings were with me. We were safe together amid gunshots and music outside my 17th-story window. I remember hearing Keith Sweat singing “I’ll Give All My Love to You” in the distance. It was peace. Until one day, my world turned upside down…
It was a day when fear began. I no longer felt safe without my father around. You see, they separated, and we had to stay with my grandmother. This is where my rebellion started to kick in incredibly. I didn’t feel safe there because it was unknown to me.
I was no longer under the care and protection of my dad. However, summers in the nineties at Grandma were fun because cousins were around. We played double Dutch, tag, and knock hockey in the park for hours. Music was gold, and it was special to me. There were many talented artists during those times: Swv, Blackstreet, LL Cool J, Jade, Queen Latifah, En Vogue, Biggie Smalls, Tupac, and so much more. The music in the nineties will all be an era I will always cherish.
I remember going to my dad’s house on Saturday mornings, and we would watch Saturday Morning cartoons. That was when Nickelodeon was best. When All That, Kenan and Kel, and Nick Cannon were my favorites. It was a time to remember.
However it wasn’t all bliss either. Being that my parents separated we were exposed to a lot of trauma that no child should have to face. When saying No became a part of my vocabulary. If I didn’t feel comfortable around an adult, my attitude and rage would kick in and I would walk in the rebellion that grew everyday. To rebel in the nineties was the unforgivable sin.
School fights were a part of me. I felt I had to defend myself constantly from bullies. Until one day, it almost cost someone their life. The rebellion that lived in my heart needed to be addressed. I was angry about not being around my dad and having to submit to someone who was not my father. I learned how to deal with it, though.
The nineties will always be a time I hold dear to my heart. My experiences helped me become the woman I am today. Sometimes, the trauma we endure in life can make or break us. Honestly, it almost broke me, but when I look back, I understand the decisions that my parents had to make.
As a parent today, sometimes we have to make decisions that may hurt, but it’s for the well-being of everyone. Life has a way of showing us who we will become. If I could go back to that era, I would. I would change a lot of things. I know that I can’t; however, I can change today and do better daily. So, I appreciate both the good and the bad.
Now, I am learning to adjust to this era, where everything is machine-based and technology-driven. I learned how to adapt then, and I will now. I look forward to every experience that may come my way. Cheers to the journey ahead. 💐💪🏽❤️