Let's Talk with Diane A.S. Stuckart
I may be old, but…
January 27, 2022
If you read my “Let’s Talk” post published last year at right about this time, you might know that tomorrow is my birthday. And it’s not just any birthday. It’s one of those major landmarks, get the government involved, officially OLD birthdays. The one where you look at yourself in the mirror and ask, where did all the years go? Wasn’t I just recently old enough to buy booze??
The thing is, other than a blown knee, I don’t feel as old as I apparently am. And so, I’m not going to dwell on age. Instead, it’s time to make a list of all the things I’ve done that some of you young whippersnappers out there will never get to do…or, as the T-shirt slogan goes, I may be old, but I got to see all the cool bands.
• I did see some cool bands…Heart and Jethro Tull and the Doobie Brothers and the Byrds and Arlo Guthrie, and even the Dixie Chicks when they were still playing local fairs.
• For the bands I didn’t see in person, I did hear their new music right there on the transistor radio (and later, car stereo) when those songs were first released.
• I bought 45s and LPs at a record store, because that was how music came out back then. (And one of the first LPs I purchased with my very own money was the hot-off-the-press soundtrack to Disney’s The Jungle Book.)
• I licked S&H Green Stamps and put them in books for my mom (but I swear I don’t recall our ever actually redeeming those books for any prizes…at least, not cool ones).
• I was in first grade when John F. Kennedy was assassinated…and I also remember when Janis Joplin died.
• Along with my little brother, I won an hour-long trip on a brand new 747 airliner when those planes first hit the skies.
• A fun Friday or Saturday night out with the hubster was going to Blockbuster and sorting through all the videos…and, occasionally, lucking out by finding a new release just returned to the shelf.
• And, bringing it around to writing, I bought Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and The Shining when they first came out in paperback.
Of course, that’s not the sum total of cool things I’ve done (some I really can’t publish here, but if I ever write my memoirs, I’ll include them!). But thinking back on the past reminds me that being “of an age” does come with some perks, i.e. popular culture bragging rights. So, happy birthday to me…and know that I plan on many, many more!
Posted in Let's Talk, with Diane A.S. Stuckart • Tags: Diane A S Stuckart, giveaway | 19 Comments
First of all, Happy Birthday! It is a joy to see another sunrise and to share it with friends. I did not go to many concerts, but I loved the ones I saw including Linda Rondstat, The Temptations, Frankie Vallie, The Guess Who, Led Zepellin, and Jimmy Buffet. My taste in music is all over the map!
Thank you, Maggie. You did see a variety pack of artists.
Happy Birthday, Diane! I didn’t get to go to a lot of concerts when I was young, but I did see Steppenwolf, the Grass Roots, the Allman Brothers, and maybe one or two others. They were all pretty awesome.
Thanks, Terry. You did see some great bands!
Happy Birthday, Diane! I don’t feel one bit older than when I went to an early 70s Tom Jones concert where he sang What’s New Pussycat. I was also lucky enough to see the Beach Boys live as well. Wonderful memories. Have cake!
Thank you, Cheryl. Wow, I bet that Tom Jones concert was excellent. He’s such a showman. 🙂
Happy birthday! I’ve been thinking about this milestone quite a bit lately, given what’s been going on in the world: I remember waiting in line at my elementary school on a weekend with hundreds of other families, all excited about getting the sugar cube that would protect us against polio.
Thanks, Lois. I do recall the sugar cube thing, too. Wow, that was a long time ago!
Happy Birthday! Your admissions make me feel old. I was the one redeeming the S&H green stamps, and I was in high school when Kennedy was assassinated. As for pop culture references, I have been around since black and white television was replaced by color and experienced the first personal computers on the scene.
Thank you, Nancy. I remember once when The Wizard of Oz was on TV when I was in first or second grade and I went over to my friend’s house where they had a color TV. Boy that was something!
Although I probably was at the same school waiting for the sugar cube as Lois was, my pop culture reference came much later – in my freshman year of college. I attended the University of Michigan and there was a concert in Crysler Arena that was to be a two-hour concert supporting John Sinclair who’d been arrested on a marijuana charge before Ann Arbor passed the $5 law. Commander Cody and His Lost Airmen (sp) were to be the featured act. 2 hours into the concert, it was announced that a few extra guests would perform. The first one was Stevie Wonder who did a one hour set. At approximately two in the morning the last extra act came on — it was John Lennon and Yoko Ono and it was the first time he sang “Imagine.” You can imagine the euphoria (and probably the contact high) as the audience left the arena.
Wow, how exciting that you got to see Yoko and John. Not too many people can say that!
Happy birthday! Tell Kitty that you aren’t getting older…you’re getting better. (I don’t remember which shampoo used it in a commercial…) I’m only a few months behind you,so if my cats say that arme…no treats that day! 🤪
Eh, my cats have told me that I look pretty good for my age. As long as I keep feeding and petting, they’ll let me hang out with them. 🙂
Happy birthday! I wish you many, many more adventures!
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