Take me back Tuesday--Broadway Bike Rider

"Take me Back Tuesday"

I am going to try to start a new weekly feature... sharing stories from back in the day, the good ole 80s and 90s,  I had an interesting childhood and adolescence and I have many stories to tell. :)   So here goes the first story for Take me Back Tuesday:

I lived in a "mobile home community" in Edwardsville, KS from when I was  4 or 5 until I was going into 6th grade... basically all of  the elementary school years.   It was a nice, park-like, neighborhood, not a trashy hill-billy style trailer park.  Most of the people were old retired couples who would have lovely manicured yards decorated with gnomes, pin-wheels, and flamingos.  There were also a lot of young families, just starting out, so there were always many kids to play with and ride bikes all around the "manufactured home park."

In 1989, at the age of 8, riding my bike was my favorite thing to do.  I had the coolest bike with a big white basket attached to the front. I would put my favorite Cabbage Patch Kid in the basket for company, and then take off down the street.  The streets were perfect for bike riding, the speed limit was like 20mph and there were speed bumps every quarter mile, so it was pretty safe to cruise right down the middle of the asphalt.

I am a born performer, whether or not I actually get the opportunity to perform on a stage, the love is in me now and always was.  Back in the Edwardsville days,  I would get on my bike with my Cabbage Patch in tow, and set out to give the  senior citizens  sitting out on their porches a show.   I would ride my bike in a formation, that in  my head looked like beautiful synchronized swimming,   in and out of  "S" shapes and figure eights.  While riding, I would belt out my favorite show tunes, usually songs from Annie! 

"Betcha they're young
Betcha they're smart
Bet they collect things
Like ashtrays, and art!
Betcha they're good --
(Why shouldn't they be?)
Their one mistake
Was giving up me

I would sing at the top of my lungs up and down the street, and the porch sitters would applaud.  I probably annoyed them, but I took their applause for wanting more, so I would revisit them weekly!

Today, I still occasionally enjoy  a similar activity.  I LOVE blasting a great (and sometimes dorky) song on my car stereo with the windows rolled down, so that everyone else can enjoy it while I sing along. I especially like to do this with one of the best songs of all time, " Hold On," by Wilson Phillips.  People usually point and laugh, and I think its hilarious to see their reactions.  It's kind of hard to be in a bad mood when your singing along to "Don't you know, things could change, things could go your way, if you hold on, for one more day, things will go your way... hold on for one more day!"    I'm a dork, but I'm a happy dork!

8-year-old me, rockin my dance recital costume.