On my recent trip to Houston I was able to visit my folks’ new home for the first time (they’ve been there for 6 years). In addition to a homecoming to my mom & dad’s hearty home cooking (heaps of corned beef hash, steamed rice and eggs for breakfast plus chicken adobo and arroz caldo for dinner), I was also able to reacquaint myself with a big ol’ stack of old photo albums which chronicle my life from birth all the way through my teen years. Born in 1970, I’ve been privileged with everything from the plaid plague to the bowl-cut boy look which pretty much defined my existence until the discovery of Dep® gel in 1983. Ah, what decades of decadence.
Above are some photos I found of me showing off my brand new “Wild Silver” bike, which my dad bought for me from JCPenney in 1979. The bike was not even a day old when these pictures were taken. It’s kinda funny that it looks like I changed my shirt to a Star Wars one midway through the photo shoot. It would make sense, that was my favorite shirt in the world.
I remember being totally stoked when I got this bike, but I couldn’t even ride it anywhere ‘coz the neighborhood was so bad and I risked getting it swiped from me by the local cholos, who eyed it like a prize from the day I pushed the pedal.
When we moved to Westchester only a few months later, I found myself in a neighborhood 1,000 times more clean, quiet and safe than Culver City was, so my bike enjoyed a period of sea-salted, sun-soaked happiness, which was cut short by the arrival of the “new” style of BMX bike, which did away with banana seats, fenders, chain guards, and nearly everything else which my Wild Silver had stood so proudly for. Not wanting to be singled out for ridicule, I quickly shunned the Silver and it remained in my garage from then on while I sought a new bike. Yes, in only matter of months it went from star stallion to dead like disco.
Anyways, I’ve been on a scanning safari, placing these photos on the platen and plastering the plethora onto my hard drive. So you best believe you’re in for a mighty treat of super-sweetness as I take you on a trip through trippiness.
Tags: cool toys, Flashbacks
Testing testing 1,2 1,2 ..what happens when I post a comment?
Hiya GN! WhooHoo — Go 70′s guy! Who’s the cute white chickadee in the first picture you’re riding with then… I know who that sassy filapina one is in the 2nd! Ate Laura at your side- fabulous photo and write up— keep going, I can’t wait to hear the story– By the way- cool doo– exactly as I remember you
Love your cousin Lisa
Hey Lisa! =)
The blonde in the first picture was my neighbor “Monica” who lived three houses down at the time. She was a great playmate. I’m trying to remember her last name (maybe my mom knows)!
And actuaaaaally…that’s *not* Laura in the second pic. That’s Joni, who moved in next door to Monica. LoL, back then I actually had to juggle my playtime with both of them (they didn’t really get along).
Wow…what a blast from the past! This is great, GN! It’s crazy how, like Lisa, I can clearly remember you & Gani looking this young…through my own “kid eyes.” Que guapos!
LOL…hey, I had the same Star Wars shirt, and it was my favorite too, until I got a Han Solo one from another cousin in the Philippines! It looks like you were quite the popular fellow around your block, GN…
Thanks for sharing these photos & the other ones of all of us together. The younger ones are sooo cute! Some of the other photos I can see Lisa & I were going through that um, awkward pre-teen phase. Leon was looking all cool…”I’m in High School, I don’t know these people….” LOL Love to you & your family, your cousin Laura