Because We All Know What's Important In Life...

 
This evvening I popped in a dvd for some" me" time. And lo and behold, before we got to the menu screen, before there was even a movie trailer there was a commercial for a product called Digital Copy*. 

Maybe you've heard of it, or seen the commercials. 

From what I gathered it's a legal way to rip dvds to your laptop or handheld device so you can take it with you wherever you go. Their slogan is:

 

 

Which is great, but what bothered me was during the commercial, this cute little I'd say probably 9ish year old with a lisp and everything says "Yeah and I can put it on my iphone and take movies with me anywhere. To the beach, long car trips, or hanging out with friends." *cue big smile with missing tooth*

I'm sorry...what? You're taking the movies with you...to the beach? You're going to watch a movie instead of building a sand castle? You're going to sit in one place for hours watching a tiny little screen instead of wandering around collecting seashells and enjoying the waves? I mean, I don't even like sand, but really?

Okay maybe not the beach. Long car trips. That's great. Keeps the kids quiet. I'm actually not opposed to this one...unless you just keep switching from movie to movie the entire time. What about reading a book? Coloring? Playing the license plate game? Sing alongs? You get car sick? Three words: books on tape.

But what if you and your friends want to watch a movie? Sure, no problem, you could do that. Or you could ride your bikes, play capture the flag, dig to China, play dress up, or a board game, or with Barbie, or you could build at tent (boys read: fort) WITH ALL THE SPARE SHEETS YOU CAN FIND! 

I dunno, maybe. I mean, I'd just like to point out that there are options. 

So everyone listen up. If you see someone who is letting their kid sit on the beach and watch a movie on his cell phone, please slap that parent. Then show the kid how to use the iphone as a sand shoveling device and help them build a castle, which is a better employment for both the kid and the phone. 

I don't have a problem with Digital Copy, I have a problem with their ad campaign to promote mindless entertainment absorption. (That's not really their goal of course. Their goal is to make money. Still not a good reason.) 


So here’s to parent’s everywhere who would never let their children waste their childhood in front of a screen. I’ll drink to that, yeah-eah.


*The link actually takes you to the advertising group’s site where they explain how they made the commercial using green screens. Which is very cool in media world. Huzzah. While you’re there scroll down to check out all the awesome places you can take your movies when you use Digital Copy.

And for the record, to all the Digital Copy People and their advertising group, you sell an interesting product. I hope lots of people buy it and use it wisely.

Speaking of Skittles

At camp a couple of summers ago, my Co and I had a serious discussion about the hierarchy of Skittles. (This is where I give a shout out to Paige, THAT’S MY CO!)


               

For most people, both kids and adults, there is a certain method to the way we eat our favorite foods. For example, I dump a handful of Skittles out, and eat then in order from least favorite to most favorite until there are exactly 1 of each color left and then that’s my last bite. I’ve done this since I was a kid. And yeah, sometimes I mix red and green or something for a cherry-limeade vibe but that’s basically how it goes.

Yes, we’re back to the significance of color in candy from our childhood. Now pay attention, this is important stuff.

Many people (not all but a good majority) will most likely pick red or maybe purple as their favorite Skittle flavor. Ask anyone and they will probably give you their personal ranking for Skittle flavors/colors.

Mine is red purple yellow/green orange.

I could go either way on yellow or green really. It may depend on my mood. Am I in a limeade mood or a lemonade mood? It’s anybody’s guess.

Here is where this becomes socially significant:


You can tell how much someone likes you by what colors they offer you from their Skittle bag.



This is especially true for kids. They will pick through and offer you their least favorite a lot of the time. Some people try to be fair and just dump a few out and hand them over, no sorting or anything. (But also probably a pang of regret if you had a few too many of their favorite color in that hand.) And if someone gives you all their reds or THE LAST RED? Wow, they really think you’re something special.

If we applied this to an adult situation it would be something like this:



Except in our version Derek is the leader of a Power Ranger Club and Meredith wants to be in it. Specifically she wants to be the Pink Ranger except Addison does too.

Meredith: I lied, I do want to be in this club. I want to be in this club a lot. Your choice is easy, her or me. And I’m sure she’s really cool and she does have that tree house. But Derek, I like you. In a really really big, swear to never tell on you, let you have the last red Skittle, make a friendship bracelet for you, stupid way that makes me want to hit you…like you. So pick me, choose me, let me be the Pink Power Ranger.


Right?


So next time you want to tell someone how special they are to you, say it with Skittles.



This same theory can probably be applied to Starburst.

pink red yellow orange

Jell-O and Smarties

I have no reason to tell anyone the following except

1. I am bored and feel like writing.
2. It takes my mind off things.
3. I seem to be on a bit of a nostalgic trend.
4. I thought about this today. Again, randomly. Well, I did eat Jell-O.

That’s right, you guessed it. Dorky quirks from my childhood.

Dorky Quirk Numero Uno:
You’ve seen Mary Poppins right? (If you haven’t then this next part will just seem gross and weird, if you have…awesome maybe and probably still gross.)

For those who haven’t seen it, a video:




Back to my childhood quirk; whenever I ate Jell-O, I would strain it through my teeth until it was liquid-like and then put it back in my spoon so I could pretend it was medicine from Mary Poppins.

So yeah....that was AWESOME...


Dorky Quirk Numero Dos:

I also used to pretend that Smarties candy were magic pills that gave you abilities, except not like super powers.  If I remember correctly it went something like

Red = beauty
Purple = smart
Green = rich
Yellow = kind
White = honesty
Orange = energy or something. I never really favored orange so it didn’t get an awesome power.

                


Oddly enough I never did this with Skittles or M&M’s. Probably because the powdery quality of the Smarties reminded me of vitamins, except they taste way better.


It should be noted that the effect wasn’t immediate. It was more like “Take your Smarties so you can grow up to be beautifulsmartrichkindhonest and energetic.”




Sometimes, I wish the things I thought up when I was a kid were true.

Yes, I've Always Been Like This

 
If you push play, then read aloud, pacing yourself, this might work:

There are some moments in life that you remember always. Moments that bury themselves inside and are forgotten, until years later they resurface without reason. And what happened may not have even been significant or meaningful on a large scale, it may not change your life or your nature, in fact it probably won't. But when you rediscover it you're glad you kept it, because it's yours.

I was ten years old, riding with my mom in the car on the way to school. Our drive was across town, from our trailer in West Orange to my mom's work in Little Cypress. We always took MLK because there were fewer stoplights and also because it was more scenic. We were listening to music. Music from a soundtrack, which just goes to show that even at a young age I had a nerdy side. It's in my roots. I was familiar with the music of Michael Kamen (Robin Hood) and Jerry Goldsmith (First Knight) before I was aware of NSYNC's existence. But this particular day we were listening to Randy Elelman, DragonHeart, number 4, To the Stars. 

Now imagine being ten, and you're listening to this music, staring out the window at the trees, daydreaming. If you've ever driven North on MLK in the early morning you know what I'm talking about. There's just a little light in the sky and the woods are still asleep. This music is carrying your ten year old self through the sky. 

You are heroic, you are uninhibited, you are infinite. 

Then, just at the right moment you come around the curve into the fields beyond the woods and there is the sunrise. It appears at exactly the right moment in the music and floods your mind with golden light and magic and takes your breath away. 



I will always carry this moment with me. I couldn't believe it happened. I tried over and over every morning to recreate it, to get the music and the world to align in perfection, but it never did. 

And I had forgotten it, until this week, when I decided to share it with you. I hope your life has moments like this too. If you have, I’d love to hear them.