MEMORIES OF AN OLD MAN
The Ten Things I Wished I Still had
A trip down memory lane
On our journey through life, we come in contact with many things. Some stay with us forever, whether we want them to or not. Others just sort of slip away. Here are ten things I wish hadn’t slipped away.
1) Corgi James Bond Aston Martin DB5
My James Bond toy car is one of the few toys I remember from my childhood, along with the big yellow Tonka bulldozer and the Batmobile with the pulsating exhaust. But the Aston martin was way cooler than either of those. It had an ejection seat. A working ejection seat. It was so cool. I loved it so much. And now it’s gone, like tears in the rain. Wait, wrong movie, but still appropriate.
2) My Ramones Baseball t-shirt
This was my first concert t-shirt, and it was vintage Ramones. I wore it everywhere. When it finally wore out, I cut the sleeves off it, and wore it as an undershirt. I loved my Ramones t-shirt. I truly wish I still had it, even if it would be about four sizes too small.
3) My First Car
My first car was a ’83 Pontiac LeMans with a 350cc V8, automatic transmission, bucket seats, and tons of power. I upgraded the speakers and installed an 8-track tape deck in the glove box. It was a killer ride, and I dearly miss cruising in her, with DEVO’s first album stuck in the 8-track, blaring I Can’t Get No Satisfaction. This is what the ’70s were about.
4) Stubby Beer Bottles
Stubby beer bottles may be more difficult to hold, but some things in life are worth the extra hassle. Memories of a simpler time, before the mass marketers had homogenised everything Canadian into a shallow reflection of Yankee inferiority. Long neck beer bottles may go up your ass more easily, but stubbies make you feel the pain.
Me and the boys and my 50…
5) My Comic Book Collection
it wasn’t a great comic book collection, but it was mine. It had Batman and Superman, Spiderman and The Phantom. It had Archie comics galore, all from the 60s. Now, none of them were pristine. They were well read, and not worth a penny to any yuppie boomer scumbag collector. They wouldn’t be worth anything to some GenX slacker son’o’bitch either, since they weren’t even born when most of these comics were printed and read. But they meant something to me. But, then again, they’d just be taking up space anymore — much like I am.
6) Going to Live Music
Hopefully, we will, once again, be able to see music performed in person, but until then, I will miss seeing live bands perform. If it takes a vaccine passport to get my ass into a show, then I’m okay with it. I miss the vibrations of loud guitars deep in my soul.
7) Every Pet Who Has Ever Shared Their Life With Me
Not much to say there, but I miss every pet I ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I wish they were all here now, no matter how many litter boxes and walkies required.
8) Waking Up Refreshed
I would love to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world, but after almost 59 years of walking this earth, it just isn’t there anymore. But coffee helps me get back on track. Add some Irish Cream, and I’m ready to get ‘er done.
9) My Innocence
Yeah, I’m a jaded old fucker now. Time and people do it to you. Trust them, and some of them will fuck you. No protection. No lube. Not even spit and shove. Just raw pain. So, I would love my innocence back, but only if I knew enough to not trust anybody. So, I want my innocence back without the whole innocence part. Forget about this one. I don’t want it back.
10) A Lot of People
I will not name all the people — family and friends — I miss so dearly, because I don’t want this to be too sad. But I miss them, every day. When you realise you have lost more important people than you will meet in the future, it gets too sad to contemplate.
And other things too many to mention
And those are just some things I miss. Some I miss deeply, down to the core of my being, and some I’d just like to still have around. But I will survive without them. I’ll just fill my life with fresh stuff. The shit goes on.
I read Paul Combs’ article and decided to copy him.
Paul Mansfield is a writer, a photographer, a guitar player, a philosopher — some he does well, some not so well, but he still tries them all. You can follow him on Twitter @pmansfield.
Here is another of his stories on something or other.
