Once when no one was looking, I kissed a life-sized poster of Joey McIntyre from the New Kids on the Block band. Not the current NKOTB band, well, I suppose they are the same people-only much older than the teeny boppers of my youth.
Like most pre-teen to young teen girls, I was infatuated with the infamous boy band; I collected all of their albums, their posters, any picture I found in the latest teen mag was clipped out and plastered somewhere in my room or on the front cover of my chandler. I had been lucky enough to attend one of their concerts where I collected their buttons and more of their paraphernalia. For Christmas one year, my older sister and I both received VHS tapes about the band, which my father warned us would break if we watched them too often; a trick I have reserved the rights to and have tucked away in my parental memory bank for when my children grow to be teenagers.
One of my first disappointing realizations as a child in regards to the real world was due to the New Kids on the Block band. I had written a fan letter to Joey McIntyre, he was my favorite, and being the youngest I had the most chance of landing him- at least in my pre-teen mind. I had nearly screamed when I received the envelope that had a multicolor trim around it, almost as if it had been braided with a rainbow of sorts and had their band logo printed on it. I had run up to my room to open it, sure that he sent me a private note of gratitude for my loyalty as his fan. I sat on my twin bed, that was covered with a white bedspread that had red cherries printed on it, and tore into the envelope as fast as my twelve year old fingers would allow me.
At first, I had thought it odd that Joey would type his response to me, but remembering how popular he was, typing was probably faster than writing, so I kept reading. Each sentence tore into my excitement knocking it over and squashing it, and by the end of the letter where his stamped signature stared back at me, my innocence was gone. It was a form letter. I put the letter on my lap for a moment dazed, as if I had been betrayed by my best friend. Then I crumpled it up and threw it away promising myself never to write another fan letter to anyone ever again.
So yes, once when no one was looking I kissed the life-sized poster of Joey McIntyre, at least I thought no one was looking….
No comments:
Post a Comment