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| Alf...Remember him? He was a generational icon. |
Ok...
I just got done watching a very interesting and entertaining movie called Dysfunctional Friends...I really enjoyed it, and could relate dearly to it. It's nothing like seeing people of your generation act out real life situations involving: Money, Dreams, Life after college, folks cheating in relationships and then reuniting with great friends, career goals...it had a lot of laughs, drama and I liked it alot. As the movie said toward the end, life isn't about tha past, it's about the present and future, and...discovery.
I think a lot of people of my generation are going through a lot. I say that as President Obama himself is down here in my hood of South Beach this evening, man he better stop by the crib to say "What's Up!!" Anybody else notice how often the Prez is down here in Miami?...but there are so many issues that our generation has to deal with that others before and those after don't even know about...U got student loans...Sallie Mae has got to be the richest chick I know! U got STD's...remember when ODB used to rap about "Ew baby, I like it raw?!!" When was the last time u heard somebody request that at a party or go to the juke box and put them quarters in and hit that C45 button to get their shimmy on?!! Exactly...Job situations where a lot of people don't believe in going to college or even finishing high school, because they don't feel like they gonna get a gig in their degree anyway, so why bother...so many issues we didn't have to think about as a kid like:
- Waking up on Saturdays to watch the news...what happened to waking up at 6 a.m. to watch cartoons?
- Having to be scanned up and down and having to wait in line to catch a flight...was there a time when we didn't have to?
- Econ witness the gas prices go up and down like a freaking see-saw (that's ol' skool right there!) ...remember when u used to hit up that $1.35 /gallon and just cruise around town bumping some old GG and not even think about it. Now it's sometimes at the forefront of ur weekday/weekend plans, and even included in who u date....Can I get real tonight?
- What about going to fast food restaurants and asking for some extra ketchup and nampkins and having the homegirl on tha register hook u up for a handful. So much that u take some home and get that ziplock bag out...somebody knows what I'm talking about!...get that ziplock bag out and stuff them full, and u be good for 6 months!! (BK's catsup is the best by the way!)....Shoot, nowadays, they be charging for extra BBQ sauce, if u want a cup of water, they not only charge u, but they then give u a "Solo" sized cup like u about 2 gargle just like ur about to get ready for the tooth fairy later that night!...It's bonkers.
- A brotha can't even leave his front doors open anymore...remember when that breeze be hitting like Jeter in October, and u actually fall asleep with the door open, and wake up to the same. Now...tha minute I open my door, I'm locking it! I don't want no strange woman coming in trying to take advantage of me cuz of what she's heard on tha street! Ha ha!! Same with cars...u used to try to help people who are on the street cuz u KNOW they were in need...Now, folks don't want food or a job, they want money...straight dineros...carrying around coin machines...wait, folks making so much money now that they can give u change like a Church collection plate! "Brotha...I wanna help u out but I just go this twenty, and I just wanna give u like $2 doll....I got u dude! I got u!" And then they pull out a wad like the Ricky Ross, and stuff...dropping their credit card machines on tha ground... telling u, our generation....
- Remember the good days of radio...back in tha day when u used to tape via cassette recorders whole afternoons or evenings of a station. U be happy as go lucky once u listened to it, and then on that Side B after weeks u finally waiting u got that song u've been wanting to own. "Yeah...I finally got that TLC on tape!" Now u can call by the minute on the hour what's about to be played...and most of the time...it's not even the best songs on the artists' Album....Ooops! I mean CD.
- How about going to the Movies and not having to worry about if u can afford the food or not. "Alright...this girl is looking sexy as can be on my arm tonight, but if she orders them Mike 'n' Ike's and try 2 break a brotha...I may have to ska daddle to the bathroom in the middle of the flick and 'Spiderman' my behind out the window!" Am I lying? $7.00 for popcorn...U gotta pay to park in the garage, which they claim first hour is free, but what movie u know only last 60 minutes...this ain't no Cannes Film Festival?!! It's the 59th minute before u finally hear..."As courtesy to our guests...please turn off your cell phones..." And before they finish by saying "Thank Yo..." Guess what...somebody cell phone goes off, and they got a ringtone that goes like this!!!
- I literally saw somebody use the cell phone to call somebody who was in the same store...and the store wasn't that big! Remember going around from department to department looking for your friends? And sometimes getting a little...gulp!...ghetto! "Hey, Chauncey...Chauncey...Where U at?!!...I see u dawg...Hey...THEY GOT THESE DRAWS ON SALE OVER HERE FOR 30% OFF...YEAH, DRAWS...FOR THA 30 OFF, DUDE!!" That was half the fun on a Saturday afternoon...straight...to tha up!
- Back in tha day folks meant what they said, and said what they meant. I'ma leave that one alone...tonight.
- What about when folks used to gather around to watch their favorite TV shows or 'Stories", and be so into them that u not only watch them, but u'd VHS record them and then watch them again later that day or night! And then will get on tha phone and talk about them like they real people..."Child....U see Young and the Restless? Girl...Victor got him a young tenderoni! I know...that was last week, doll, where u been at?" That's old school...and I'm not even gonna talk about setting that VCR for a program that's gonna come on late night, and hoping that the reception from the antenna is position right so it won't look like ur watching a scribble scrabble pay-per-view event!
There's so much our generation has seen and has had taken away like a lineup in jail...I almost feel like saying 'pass me tha vasaline', but that would be so...grotesque! Yeah, I'm trying to impress that ladies with them big words, so what!!...
We're so crazy...
Few more then I'm out...
- Our generation has had to deal with...wars...Occupy's...Taser guns...walls...freaking mosquitoes that's biting me up right now, don't he know I'm writing...leave me alone! So much stuff...riots, American Idol's bogus phone voting system (Like I'm the only one who thought it was a little... suspicious!)...The jump in Reality Shows, back in tha day we'll be happy to catch our two Cops episodes on Saturday evening followed later by an episode of Cheaters on Saturday night to get us hyped up before we went out to kick it late night style! That's all we had...that's all we needed.
- What about having to deal with no one knowing ur business to now everybody knowing ur business! Folks could get their creep on without knowing it...now right after u park ur car, and before u even hit up the doors of my favorite date spot of McDonald's (Please smile!)...somebody got ur face plastered on Fcbook or on Twitter or on Instagram like u share ur name with a famous hotel or something. It's wild...not that I agree with cheating, I'm just saying....If u gonna cheat...then u need to...something says I better stop right here before I get myself in trouble. I mean this ain't nothing new, everybody in Miami cheats anyway right? "Hey... Who threw that pot and pan!!! You almost scratched up my money maker!"
Our generation has been talked about some, but for the most part we are the last of a dying breed...if u were born after, I'll say...1988...Sorry, but u don't really count in our generation. Not knocking ya, but if u don't know who Milli Vanilli is or if u don't remember two-way pagers or if u don't remember Seinfeld's last episode or u didn't cry that Sunday when Princess Di was in that car crash or got scared on that Saturday morning when a bomb went off in Atlanta's Olympic Park or U didn't see the real Dream Team play live or u thought Cindy Crawford was so sexy on JFK Jr.'s political magazine or couldn't wait for them days in March when MTV's Spring Break would be in full swing or don't remember where u were when Pac and Biggie got shot or remember tha Fab Five or Spice Girls mania or when Mike debuted those patented leather J's or ever thought Roger Rabbit was cool...and u thought doing the Roger Rabbit was cool...If not, sorry for ya!
We're a special breed of fashion, sports, and fame...if u're not in it, hopefully 2nite u'll see what u missed. And if u are in it...represent 2 tha fullest, cuz have the best of both worlds!...And I'm not just talking about that Jay-Z and R. Kelly collaboration either!!
Austino Galaxia.
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