Lasting Memories



Lasting Memories

Belinda @ Kids Matter

Thinking back to my younger years, I can’t help but to smile. Remember when you were a kid and you had those sweet little star crushes? Rick Springfield… oh, the teenage hearts he broke… Scott Baio, Leif Garrett, Andy Gibb, David and Shaun Cassidy… the list goes on and on. Are you a middle aged woman sitting there smiling from all the memories those names bring? How about the oversized posters hanging all around your room? Ahhh… the 70’s and 80’s… I remember those days fondly.

When I was a kid, we would go to the arena to see WWF wrestling on Wednesday nights. It was such a fun time. I developed a star crush on Bill Dundee. Many years later, I was working at a restaurant waiting tables. It was a Wednesday night; I was the last server standing (near closing). As I started to break things down for the night, I heard the door open. Someone pinch me… I must be dreaming. Suddenly, I was a nervous wreck and couldn’t hold onto a single thing. Everything I came near fell to the floor. Who was it that held such power over me? Yes, Bill Dundee, there he stood in the doorway with a bunch of his wrestler friends. They had stopped in to eat after that night’s event.

I went to the hostess station to get menus. I picked them up. I dropped them on the floor. I picked them up, again. I dropped them on the floor, again. Are you kidding me, was all I could think. I escorted the guys to their seats. They were all laughing, joking, and having a good time. Bill was the quietest of the group, but had the sweetest smile and oh, that Australian accent when he spoke. I took their order, brought their drinks, and best of all had a nice chat with them while they waited for their dinner. Remember Handsome Jimmy? He is quite the character and had me in stitches the whole time. I had the absolute best time at work that night, meeting guys I had thought of as superstars. I even got a proposal from Handsome Jimmy (as did probably hundreds of other waitresses back in the day).  Wednesday nights with my wrestler idols became a ritual. It was so much fun to spend time with those guys.

When I look back on those memories, I can’t help but laugh. Those stars we idolize so much are just real people like you and me. They just have a light that shines brightly on them for such a short time. They go out and do a ‘job’, just like us, but they break a lot of teenage hearts in the process. What’s important to realize is that we need those idols in our lives, no matter what age we are, because that’s what allows us to dream… to better ourselves… to excel. As adults, we need to encourage children to have those superstars, to dream of being that person one day. Of course, I never wanted to be a wrestler, but what captured my heart about Bill Dundee was how he always came to the rescue. He was always helping other wrestlers. Look at the many ways idols can influence our lives. It’s not a bad thing to see the best in people. It’s not a bad thing to want better for ourselves. Inspire children to dream big and bold while striving to become the very best they can be. Who were your idols? How did they influence your life?