Memories in Pictures

I think part of why I enjoy writing so much is because I am a “visual” guy. When I am writing, or even reading, I can usually get a better mental image of something than when I am listening to it on the radio or hearing someone talk. Along those same lines, sometimes an image from a particular point in my life will stick with me and I can write about those memories using only that image in my head. And really that is my favorite thing to writing about; memories. Does that make any sense?

For example, when I think about Pizza Hut today, these images pop in my head almost immediately. When I was a kid, our “going out to eat” restaurant in our small town was a Pizza Hut. I remember going as a family and playing the table top arcade games while we waited for our order to be ready. I was close in age with my cousin (Adam) and we were huge video game guys. The rotation at our Pizza Hut was Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Joust. I hated Joust! And who can forget the cups and those lights?

Taking it a step further, Pizza Hut also used to do collectible glasses and I bought my wife a Care Bears Glass last year for Christmas just because it was so nostalgic. All of that comes to my mind when I just see that glass or an icy looking red cup. The key for me is that the images link me to a particular set of memories that were fun. As an adult, we sometimes have to hold on to memories from our youth because they take us to a time when responsibility and adult burdens weren’t a part of life.

Anytime I see ANY image that relates to a video store, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It could be a random post on Twitter of a membership card or an old Movie Gallery case in my VHS collection from when the store closed. I worked at two video stores when I was a teenager and if it had been a better paying gig, and the industry would’ve remained viable, I would love to still be doing it today. There was something powerful about having any movie at your fingertips. My friends and I watched every new release, every old cheesy horror movie, and every irreverent comedy that trafficked in and out of those stores back in those days. 2019 Dub hasn’t seen a NEW movie in ages. The last movie that I watched from beginning to end was the original Karate Kid about a month ago.

Even though this image comes from another restaurant from my youth, it actually represents some of my first memories of baseball. I started playing T-Ball when I was 4 and have played some form of hard ball every season for the last 38 years. One of my first memories was being sponsored by our local Dairy Queen and getting these helmet sundaes after the game. I think about the field at Centennial Stadium, the dugouts, the concession stand, the teammates, and the coaches. You see a helmet; I see years of summer joy! And because these are a part of the start of my love for baseball, these helmets are partially responsible for my love of baseball cards.

When it comes to basketball, there is no other image that grabs my attention than the original Dream Team. Sure, I was a basketball fan back in the late 80’s when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were battling on my Nintendo. I worshipped basketball during the “Inside Stuff” and “NBA on NBC” days and I am the guy that will argue with you all day about the game being better then than it is now. But the Dream Team was the pinnacle. This was the first time that so many superstars were compiled on the same team to play for the Red, White, & Blue. The guys in this picture were unbelievable and were transcendent in their sport.

When I see the old imagery of the 90’s Dream Team, it takes me back to playing pick-up games at my buddy’s house (The Parramore Pavilion), in my back yard under a utility light, and in dingy gyms all over my area. I spent my youth trying to shoot like Bird, pass like Stockton, rebound like Barkley, and play defense like Pippen. I never really mastered any of those but I made a ton of memories trying!

Perhaps no image conjures up more nostalgia than this Buffalo Bills helmet from Tecmo Super Bowl. I spent 3 years getting to know the Buffalo Bills because of this game. Their Super Bowls helped too but while I was always tempted to play seasons with Bo, Barry Sanders, and QB Eagles during sleepovers with my friends, the Bills offered the full package. The defense was loaded with Bruce Smith, Cornelius Bennett, and Nate Odomes. And on offense, you could run with Thurman, go deep to Andre Reed, or just move the chains with Don Beebe.

But the bigger part of the Tecmo Super Bowl memory was the sleepover part. We played a ton of Tecmo but we also watched corny horror movies, made prank phone calls, and made drink concoctions with mustard, ketchup, syrup, soy sauce, and whatever else we could find and dared each other to drink it. I know, that’s all immature but that’s exactly what we were; immature. We never really got into any trouble or bothered anybody, but we sure did some dumb things to entertain ourselves. But those are all memories and are all tied to these and other images over the years.

The same thing works with baseball cards for me. There are certain cards that make me stop and reminisce when I run across them in my collection; not because they are particularly good looking cards, though many of them are, but because they are associated with some moment in my life that makes me feel good. Take this 1990 Fleer Mark McGwire. I’ve written about this one before. It immediately takes me back to Halloween Night when my grandmother brought me packs of cards instead of candy. I remember sitting on my living room floor opening these while eating the candy I got from other places. What a night!

Then there is this 1990 KMart Jose Canseco. I remember how I would always try to talk my parents into buying me cards at department stores. Before Hobby and Retail were a thing, you could pick up just about anything at a department store, including store specific sets. Seeing this card immediately takes me back to being a kid in those stores. I would hide in clothes racks, moan about trying on clothes, and put on my sincerest charm when it came to getting some packs.

Here is a card of one of the most underrated players among collectors today. Eric Davis was a true superstar during the 80’s-90’s. But this particular card reminds me of when I used to play RBI 3 on the NES with friends. I always liked to used the World Series Champs from 1990, the Reds. Davis, Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Jose Rijo, and The Nasty Boys were awesome! I even remember some of the role players like Billy Hatcher, Ron Oester, Hal Morris, and Paul O’Neill. I think RBI 3 is the second greatest sports video game of all time.

I’ve been to many Braves games during my lifetime, even though I live 3 hours away. I went to a lot more as a kid than I do now that I have kids of my own but I still watch them all of TV. At one of those games as a kid in 1992, they gave out these cards. What I specifically remember about the game that year was a Fred McGriff homer as a member of the Padres. I remember thinking that it would be pretty cool if McGriff played for the Braves. He would wind up in Atlanta a couple years later and I was right, it was pretty dang cool!

A lot of people have their favorite Ken Griffey Jr. cards. But I’m willing to bet that I’m rather unique in my choice. I do love the 1989 Upper Deck rookie and I spent most of my life chasing it in packs. But this 1990 Topps was special to me. The first complete set I ever owned was 1990 Topps as a gift from my parents. I was 13 and immediately took all the stars out and put them in my binder. Probably a rookie mistake but I always loved this Jr. and it reminds me of when I used to sit in my bedroom floor putting those cards in my binder. There were some great cards in that set for a 13 year old; Jr., Frank Thomas, Juan Gonzalez, Nolan Ryan, Canseco, McGwire, and so on.

I missed the boat on 1989 Upper Deck when it came out because there wasn’t a local card shop in my small town. I was able to pick up 1990 Upper Deck the following year on a church choir trip. There was a little card shop in the North Georgia Mountains where we spent a week during that summer. The shop was quite a treat for me and while they had all the new stuff from 1990, they also had a couple 1989 packs. A friend of mine grabbed some ‘89 and I went straight for the new packs. He pulled the Jr. and I pulled this Olerud….I’ll never forget that but I was still pretty happy with the Olerud at the time.

This one is a classic for me. I really loved the inserts in the 90’s and this Dream Team set was one of the best. While a Kirby Puckett card would normally be taboo for a Braves fan, I actually really liked him. I remember making a few trades with a buddy to add this Kirby and a few others to my collection. We sat at the lunch table at school and he couldn’t believe I wanted some Twins player. Still glad I have this one!

You won’t find many collectors that like to keep 1991 Fleer sitting around. I have several cards that are memorable from that set for me. But I grew up, like many others, watching the Cubs on WGN. It was a time when you only got to watch your local team and occasional prime time games. The other option was the Cubs. I watched them in the afternoon while I did my homework (wink, wink) and was a big fan of Sandberg and The Hawk. This card was cool when I pulled it and still reminds me of watching those games. I will always remember getting to hear Harry Carey announce baseball games.

There were two things I really loved in the early 90’s; Frank Thomas and art cards. I was always The Big Hurt when we had homerun derby’s in the front yard while everybody else fought over being Canseco, Griffey, and McGwire. When I see this card, I vividly remember those days in my front yard, trying to smash tennis balls over the boxwood bushes that separated our house from the neighbors. It felt like we had to hit the ball a mile back then to clear those shrubs.

While none of these cards carry any real monetary value, that’s not why I still have them. They have real meaning to me. I see more than the small pictures on cardboard. I see hanging out with friends, making trades at school, sitting alone in my room sorting cards, and learning about the game itself. That is worth more to me than what they sell for on eBay. There is certainly a section of the hobby for me that is dedicated to chasing big hits but when I really want to bring order back to my collecting world, I sort through “the good stuff”. And lately, I’ve needed to get back to the basics thanks to the numerous releases we are seeing week after week. No matter what anybody ever says, I’m a firm believer that Junk Wax soothes the soul!

J-Dub