Retweets ≠ Endorsements*
During the mid to late 80’s, my brother and I could be found playing Super Mario Brothers after school. I was a jerk and always tried to be Mario.
Poor Luigi and to all younger siblings of the world.
DJ Jeremy dropping the beat at a school dance. A silver boombox sat nearby holding a cassette tape of The Beastie Boys. It did not provide wholesome listening, but we were young, pushing the limits and beginning to discover a world outside of Bibb County, Alabama. We had no idea who the singers were or what they stood for, and no idea what they were saying.
Another cassette that was played until the ribbon broke (kids today have no idea) was by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. For some strange reason, we loved the song “Nightmare on My Street.”
Maybe it was because over the years we experienced a lot nightmares on different streets and a fun song helped us cope.
The on-going psychology behind music memory studies is fascinating. Clearly, I live with a strong association to music and movies. As we age and our memory weakens, I can hear a song and remember a moment from 30 years ago, but I can’t remember if I took my blood pressure medicine this morning. I can watch a movie and suddenly remember what I ate the last time I watched it.
I write in the same way because I’m able to recall or better explain life from my viewpoint by using musical references and making movie comparisons.
So, I hear “Nightmare on My Street” whenever I play any version of Super Mario Brothers.
It’s a reminder of my brother and even our surroundings at the time. I can see paneling walls, Chevy pickups, flower pots, a rotary phone, family turmoil, a wood burning stove, coon dogs, a flag pole, fields of crops being farmed, and coal mine dust.
Here is his “1 Up” t-shirt that I still have. It was often paired with his Nintendo beanie or a wide assortment of other graphic tees and hats.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember anything about this birthday dinner. He was turning 30 as indicated by the candles, but everything else that happened that night is blank.
Jeremy’s 30th Birthday with his nieces, 2007
“Sarcasm. Just One of my many talents.” Goose. Top Gun. No explanation needed. GI Joe Thundercats Thundercat armbands his friends made for the funeral. Thundercat armbands his friends made for the funeral.
The Fresh Prince
The music we played as kids brings to mind countless hours of watching The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire and lamenting about how parents just don’t understand.
I have always described my brother as the white version of Will Smith. No, he wasn’t as talented (or famous or rich) as the roles and characters portrayed by Smith, but Jeremy’s quick wit, sarcasm and mannerisms were often identical to the Will Smith we watched in tv sitcoms and in movies like Men in Black and Hitch.
I will always be a fan of Will Smith because he’s one of those actors we grew up with. I don’t follow his personal life nor do his taxes. I don’t know the names of his children or if he really does hate cockroaches. I know he’s not perfect because he definitely made a huge mistake with the movie, Hancock.
The irony of seeing Will Smith trending is not lost on me since today would have been my brother’s 45th birthday.
Maybe the memory association of my brother’s birthday with our own memories involving Will Smith is the reason why I’m not outraged by my Twitter feed this morning.
As days like this (my brother’s birthday) approach, I often wonder how I will feel or respond on the anniversary dates related to traumatic events. The therapy people call it the “anniversary effect.”
If I believed our loved ones who had passed on had any control over some the daily events we encounter, then Jeremy won the internet today.
He must have decided on his birthday that paired with the five year anniversary of his death required a mic-dropping distraction for his big sister, so she could laugh instead of cry.
Oh, did I laugh.* I also remembered the time Jeremy chased an ex-boyfriend through the Bessemer, AL., Walmart after finding out the guy had been physically abusive to me and busted my nose.
You really can’t make up this stuff.
So, Jeremy and I would have already been texting memes and gifs about last night’s Oscars as soon as it happened. Ul
He would be sending the ones with profanity and I would be trying to send the clean versions. Then, he would make fun of me for being a “goody two shoes” knowing I was laughing at the bad ones, too.
My brother has been gone for five years and I’m just now starting to comprehend and acknowledge what that loss has meant in my life, but that’s a long story for another day.
For March 28, 2022:
Jeremy, holding the small jar of Will Smith’s restraint. 2. We all have moments when we wish words could be erased or actions could be taken back after we act foolishly in the heat of a moment. Make sure Bradley Cooper is there to hug you.
mirror.uk 3. Good movies (and award shows) should always end with Denzel Washington as the hero and the voice of reason.
Who doesn’t love Denzel?
I don’t even want to know.
Today.com
Read the whole story: People.com I’m really sad the person who made this didn’t put a space between be and careful, but it was a good try and a nice photo. Also, I’m pretty sure I still heard Morgan Freeman’s voice when reading it. : )
Funny Closing
While researching a few Beastie Boys lyrics to make extra sure I wasn’t posting about anything unholy or illegal (and most of it was), I made an insane discovery:
People, I was today-years-old when I learned Brass Monkey was an alcoholic drink and not a metal statue.
Ignorance really is bliss.
Ladies and Gentlemen, if you will now look this way for just a moment…
*Disclosures
Never in my life did I think I would have to clarify what I meant when referencing someone’s name, a work of art, a performance, a written work, a social media post, etc. Hello…I am not their best friend, momma or Creator.
No, I do not condone every action made by any other human being, myself included. Please just let me write without doing a lifetime background check on every author, speaker, singer/songwriter, actor, actress or alien that I might mention.
Also, not all posts will correspond to a Bible verse or devotional life lesson. Sometimes a story is just a story. Unless you’re living like Jonah and you just don’t want to talk about those verses right now.
On that note, let’s also clarify that I should never be personally referenced as a source or example of a stereotypical Christian, a writer, a Southerner, a Proverbs 31 woman, a blogger, and especially not a representative for pale people. This blog is simply The Notebook for when my mind is no longer present to make these posts.
© Copyright The Glad Game Blog and Keysha Thomaston 2022
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What Is All Joy?
I do have a small spiritual reference.
It’s a sobering thought that our beloved Mario Brothers “1-Up” shirt represents a spiritual reminder that we only have one chance to earn an extra life…an eternal life when you never have to press reset again.
There are multiple players, constant challenges, battle strategies, and adaptations to adversity and enemy tactics. We must learn by acquired knowledge and wisdom and through trial and error, so we can navigate schemes of seen and unseen enemies.