Sunday, June 26

So I went downtown tonight and, surprisingly, had quite a good time. Normally I'm disgusted by just about everything I see whenever I venture there, but tonight was quite different. While not entirely the reason, I suspect that the music playing at the bars had something to do with it. Some of the highlights are as follows:

1) Rage Against the Machine "Bulls on Parade" (at Backstreets)
2) Alanis Morissette "You Oughta Know" (Tiger Town)
and finally 3) Montell Jordan "This is How We Do It" (Overtime)

Can you say 1994-96, relived?

It really took me back to late middle school/early high school--a time I've been reminiscing a lot about lately. You know, buying cigarettes illegally. Parties thrown when parents went out of town. Worrying what people thought about me, what was cool, what was not. School-sponsored dances where the guys didn't know what to do with their hands. (I still don't, by the way. I do something similar to a Ludacris 'bows thing mixed with an Irish boxer's stance.) Anyway, as I was saying, those days. Strange, but I think I kind of miss some of that, for lack of a better word, naiveté. Stuff like wanting to be a professional athlete or a police officer or an astronaut (or for you girls, a ballerina or something like that). Occupations I wished I could be until I learned that athletes were dumb and didn't give a shit about fans, that cops were dicks, and that astronauts--well, I guess they're still cool. Regardless, the point is I was young--innocent--happy to just be alive. Of course I was also uncomfortable around girls, unfathomably self-indulgent (I used to be that guy who was always playing guitar for girls--yeah, that guy), and pretty much unscrupulous. Hmm, on second thought, maybe it wasn't so great after all...

8 comments:

Trevor said...

I do the same thing a lot, Jimmy. Funny how guys in their twenties suddenly feel like thinking about their "younger days". I used to want to be the first astronaut-president-take over for Johnny Carson-channel the spirit of John Lennon-writer-director-actor in American history. Then I hit puberty and it was all downhill from there.

Cincinnati Wiffle Ball said...

I think most athletes care about their fans.

James said...

Kev, I think 'some' might be a better word. Basically the members of the Detroit Tigers, Derek Jeter, Sammy Sosa, and a few select others. All the rest--i.e. the ones that refuse to sign autographs, enter the stands to brawl--can go to hell. But I think all this might just be jealousy because they're living a dream of mine past that whole middle school phase.

Anonymous said...

I wish you had included a different profession for those of us "girls" who were a bit more ambitious (heaven forbid we didn't all aspire to dance in the ballet). Personally, in '94-96 I wanted to be a surgeon.

James said...

Hey "anonymous", why didn't you use your real name? Is it because you are ashamed that you wanted to be a surgeon, not a ballerina? I bet it is! [Makes a mean face and points finger at you.]

But just to be fair, I decided to do some research and asked my friend Katie (who is a girl), who responded "i mean, if i had wanted to be a surgeon in eigth grade, i wouldn't sign my name."

So nanny-nanny-boo-boo, Miss Mysterious.

Anonymous said...

James Yeh,

A generalization such as "All the rest--i.e. the ones that refuse to sign autographs, enter the stands to brawl--can go to hell" is simply not valid. You tell "Kev" that "some" would be a better word than most. First of all, an athlete should NEVER enter the stands during a game or event. Never. And likewise, a fan should NEVER interfere/reach on the field/throw something on the field. Never. If you were playing your guitar at a club, and some drunk 'fan' threw a cup of beer at you or even physically attacked you, I think you would be entitled to retaliate in some form; be it verbal or physical. And also James, I am not quite sure what your perception is about obtaining an autograph from a professional athlete, but don't take a few examples (Barry Bonds) and put them on athletes all together. If you have ever taken the time to attend a sporting event, many athletes sign before and after. There are certain times when they are willing to do that. During batting practice for baseball, or mini camps for football, or even after games. But James, you can't expect a professional athlete to signing autographs right before a game or right after a game. That's unfair, especially since most fans attend games to see the high levels these athletes perform at. I'm sure if you went down to the local emergency room, a surgeon wouldn't be too happy to sign an autograph right before scrubbing in for surgery, now would he or she? It isn't fair to base generalizations without having facts to back them up. Otherwise, I could claim that my writing is flawless, and that your blog would be no good before I even read it, simply because the title is too long.

James said...

Nate, I'm glad you have found my blog thought-provoking enough for you to have responded so in depth. I am guilty as charged. Consider this however: facts vs. generalizations. If everything that was ever said had to be backed up with a piece of information, how boring would the world be? Generalizations are impossible to avoid because, simply put, no one statement about a group of people is ever entirely true--there are always exceptions to the rule because people are always so damn complicated. (Case in point: the generalization about Asians having small penises. Mine's like two feet long, at least.) But seriously, Nate, regardless of how things ought to be, generalizations exist and will continue to because the world ain't perfect. But it's that flawed imperfection that makes it beautiful. It makes it human. That's why sometimes you just gotta laugh about it because if you don't, you're going to end up crying. (Just in case you misconstrue me, this is metaphorically speaking.)

But, Nate, just for funsies (and to play devil's advocate), here's a fact. When the MLB Players Union went on strike in 1994, it probably wasn't for the fans.

In conclusion, I think it's also fun to notice how much controversy I have received for saying that athletes don't care about fans but how little I have received for saying cops are dicks.

Cincinnati Wiffle Ball said...

Another reason many athletes don't like to sign autographs is because many of the people lining up are simply looking to turn right around and sell the memorabilia on eBay. I've actually seen a "fan" tell Jim Thome he couldn't use just an autograph - he had to have a photograph taken of the moment to verifty its authenticity. That's bullshit, which is precisely what Mr. Thome said, which is another reason I respect him besides the facts he wears his socks high.