50 Memories of Childhood (Mostly) on Your 50th Birthday

For my 50th birthday, my brother gifted me this amazing list. It is FULL of inside jokes, but still a fun visit to to our childhood.

1. Staying up late in hotel rooms while on vacation to watch David Letterman.
2. Wearing Mork and Mindy suspenders together and knowing we looked cool.
3. Stealing sticker signs from the airplane with the coveted tampon sticker being the crown jewel.
4. Sliding on cardboard in Rose Canyon.
5. You sporting a “shark” tooth necklace.
6. Playing Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum in the school play and rocking it. (And being grateful that you were willing to be “Dum” as I didn’t want to get teased.)
7. You calling me over to the 9th grade lunch table to hang out with your friends when I was in 7th grade.
8. Sitting together as a family to watch ‘A-Team’.
9. Trick-or-treating together and having the Hansen’s, across the street, have us come in to take a picture.
10. Telling me that you’d wear jeans so the punks didn’t beat you up in junior high, and collared shirts so the preppies didn’t beat you up.
11. You wearing long, patterned bermuda shorts in 6th grade and having it be kind of a big deal.
12. Despite my irrational anger, you allowing me to vent about Mrs. Murray and even suggesting I start a “I hate Mrs. Murray” club (which I truly appreciated … but I did not start this club).
13. You being nonchalant about Christmas, but always being the first one up to excitedly get the day started.
14. Ice-plant sliding with old boogie boards on rainy days.
15. Introducing me to Motley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Dio, etc.
16. Introducing me to Tears for Fears, General Public, etc.
17. Introducing me to Eazy-E, N.W.A., Ice-T, etc.
18. You wearing vests, ties, etc. to junior high and high school.
19. Going to the Jam ‘88 rap concert and tucking money into our sock to be safe.
20. You convincing all your friends to vote for me for Homecoming Duke my 10th grade year.
21. Being on ASB together in high school.
22. Valuable lessons on dating and intimacy from Kim Reeth
23. Valuable lessons on dating and intimacy from Sarah Rahmatian
24. Valuable lessons on dating and intimacy from Joey Shelenbach
25. Showing me how to celebrate responsibly in high school .. and helping me score some Schlitz Malt Liquor at Ryan Shankles’ party.
26. Being on the wrestling team together and kind of hating Brian Choi for challenging you each week.
27. You wearing Fila high tops to a formal dance like a boss.
28. Teaching me how to “peg” my pants.
29. Using tanning lotions/spray together and perhaps overdoing it a bit.
30. Driving to school in the beige Volvo and picking up Deron in the mornings.
31. Blasting Carmina Burana in your blue Acura Integra with the crazy loud sound system.
32. You somehow, despite all logic and skill level, winning the Styn House Slamfest contest.
33. When someone dumped a bunch of sawdust on our lawn with a sign that said “For John to clean up” (or something) and Dad making good on that request.
34. Rehearsing our synchronized dance to our lip sync of an Eazy-E song … and crushing it in front of the school.
35. Visiting you at Redlands when I was still in high school and having a ton of fun. You were excited to introduce me to your friends instead of me being just some high school kid.
36. Your pole vaulting efforts and being an innovator in the popular “fail videos” genre.
37. Your fearlessness in traveling to Turkey and beyond. And you coming home with a robust and alarming beard.
38. Posing naked together in Joshua Tree
39. Admiring the time and attention you put into getting to know Grandpa Caleb and providing him a pulpit to communicate with the world.
40. You playing “Welcome to the Jungle” in the car as we arrived at Redlands for my freshman year.
41. Your hilarious letters and postcards that you sent while I was in Salzburg.
42. Escolar.
43. You saying, “Yeah, we’re just going hang out, crack a few beers.” when you knew that wasn’t the case.
44. Convincing me that I was adopted and I really should call Mom and Dad, “Adopted Mommy” and “Adopted Daddy”.
45. Me hucking a knife at you after our worst fight and, as the knife bounced off the walls, us kind of looking at each other as if to say, “Sooooo, I guess we’re done fighting?” And we were.
46. Always getting to have a friend with me on family vacations.
47. You getting an earring in 12th grade despite being directly told not to … and you not getting to attend Dr. Dean’s hypnosis show at school.
48. You always including me, even when most of my friend’s brothers would never dream of doing that.
49. Modelling open communication with our parents … and friends, partners, etc.
50. Your endless support and constant friendship year after year. Having such an impressive person also be your biggest champion is a true gift that can’t be overstated.