There was a time back in high school when all of the really cool kids had Sony Walkman portable cassette players. They were the latest, greatest thing. You could spot the cool kids by the rectangular box shapes either worn on their hip or hanging from a nifty shoulder strap, and, of course, the headset cords leading up to their ears. Oh how I wanted to be one of those cool kids.The regular kids, the “not as cool” ones, walked around with their “other” brand name versions of Sony’s hit Walkman -- they had their Sears, or Panasonic, or GE portable cassette players. There were some sly kids who owned a Slony Walking Man or a Seeny Work Man player. But we saw right through them, they were the same kids who the year before found it acceptable playing Puc-Man or Donkey King video games.
Then there was me: walking around in my knock-off leisure pants, my Don Johnson inspired white and pink shirt and yellow fabric tie and wearing my Kewl Dude Snazy Portable 8-Track Personal Listening Device. It came with a space age styled “sound-proof” mono headset with right ear set volume control and it’s own backpack with not 5 but 6 web-weave outer pockets allowing not only the convenience of carrying around extra music but the additional benefit of allowing everyone to see which other awesome 8-Tracks I had at the ready for my listening pleasure: Blondie, Grease, The Bay City Rollers, Conway Twitty, The Partridge Family and K-Tel’s Powerhits ’81. (Was it my fault that newer 8-Tracks had been difficult to find by the mid 80’s?)
No, I take back what I said about being an uncool nerd in high school. On second thought, I was quite the babe magnet. It’s a wonder I made it from class to class without being mobbed by legions of screaming girls.
11 comments:
I'd be using that today if I could find one! Protable 8 tracks!!! Way too cool.
You'll have the last laugh, Mark. I read somewhere there's something wrong with the ipod compression algorithm(sp) and it's sending people deaf.
You were just way ahead of your time my friend...way ahead...I'd have jumped your bones to be sure :D But then again, I had a thing for Don...
I hear ya on the nifty technology, cutting edge or not...someone at work called me "Q" from James Bond the other day (the gadget guy). I think that was the best compliment I EVER received.
Yeah, I would have found your Partridge Family tunes sexy too. How did you fight them off? Did Francine have to scrap to the death for you, and then BEG for you to choose her? (lol, Francine, it was probably the other way around???)
I remember finally resorting to singing to myself with the lack of a walkman. That sealed the perception to many around me that I was insane... especially when I would just vocalize the horn parts to Tower Of Power songs.
LMAO i loved this post. i was your geek female twin, hopelessly out of it, but by high school i wore it lie a badge.
i'll let you in on one more thing. about the time you think you are over qadult geekdom, alex will be a teen and let you know how hopelessly uncool you are.
My parents had the 8-track, while I got the first line of the "boom box". It had TV reception, a radio, and a cassette player. Walkmans didn't interest me because I related them to joggers and not the cool kids. Strange.
How so crazy this sound.
Some comments on my recent post about my purchase of a portable MP3player.
Some comments on my recent post about my purchase of a portable player.
This is my first comment for me wish he all the best.
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