old school pt. 1

-6 months-

there are world-famous photos throughout my lifetime that are essentially ingrained in the mind forever: the challenger shuttle bursting into flames, the berlin wall coming down, rodney king taking a beatdown off the highway, oj simpson's face in a courtroom. images so strong that i remember what i was doing at those moments...

where were you when you saw the twin towers burning? the resulting image of the firemen raising the flag over broken concrete like the GI's did in Iwo Jima? coming out of marketing class at UH...i saw fellow students' worried faces as they watched in disbelief. later that evening, a somber mood settled over the quiet dinner crowd at mama's cafe....where i tried to celebrate HM's birthday.

sometimes i can't believe the evolution of the picture took a major transformation during my generation. for over a 100 yrs, cameras produced hard copy paper images. today, everything is mainly digital. i went to my parents house a few weeks ago and ruffled through an old box of photos. scrolling through pictures on a computer just doesn't capture the moment like holding one in your hand. also, the anticipation of the waiting to see your pictures seemingly went from days to 1-hr to now instant. i agree progression and technology are amazing... but nostalgia will always hold a special place in my heart. it's amazing everything the differences my future child will take in. newspapers and land line phones will basically be historic. the computer, which has already become a household item, will be naturally integrated into his/her life from the beginning. i can totally see myself starting off stories, 'you know....way back when i was kid..... "

with that being said, i'm posting a few of my own most memorable old school youth photos (along with captioning explaining the memory). don't worry...this will not be the last of older pics:


varsity tennis. i loved high school and i loved being on the tennis team. being captain and motivating people was something i was good at. unfortunately, even though i thought i was a badass in this picture - my tennis game was far from it. i've explained this in prior blog. and yes - i had longer hair:


favorite picture with my mom. my parents took me to disney many times throughout my youth up to my young adulthood. this picture is memorable because it showed me how truly happy i was, even if i was such a brat (see following picture). any mom can smile and say cheese. an awesome one can do it while juggling her purse, some souvenirs, and a coke....all while looking great at the same time:


favorite picture with my dad. i never realized it until years later, but this was actually taken on the same day as my fave with my mom. what are the chances of that? here we are riding on the tomorrowland transit authority peoplemover. the old school glasses and the packet of salem's in his shirt pocket certainly conjure up childhood memories. i love this picture because i specifically remember how annoying i was in my adolescence. i couldn't imagine dealing with a child like me. karma - please pass me by on this one....


favorite picture with my soul brothers. i grew up with one sister (i don't have my fave pic of her scanned!), but i consider these guys to be family. love, hate, and everything in between....we've been through it all. and just like any family, we've grown into our own separate lives but still keep in touch. MR (on right) was a year older and in college, but i guess fate had it that he snagged a date during my prom (JS....YOUR NEW WIFE!!). TS (in middle) had a date that definitely set off a memorable evening by snoring the whole night! did i mention that i loved high school?...


bonus. everyone who reads this blog is in for a special treat today. below is my 2nd grade little league picture. i only played 1 year because i got beaned in the mouth (kids pitch). u can imagine that i wasn't the biggest guy on the field, but u might not be able to tell considering my huge bobblehead-like stature in the picture. this is not photoshopped people!! but unlike tennis, i actually excelled in this sport as a leadoff batter due to my quickness. stat line:
12 games
2 hits...the coach told me NOT to swing!
20 walks (small strike zone along with kids pitching = advantage bobblehead eric)
40 STOLEN BASES in 42 attempts - i was a straight up beast.
at least 20 runs scored


memories.....last a lifetime.

-EZE


*update: before finishing this post, i laid in bed with HM talking to the baby before she went to bed. i felt a kick for the first time!! definitely priceless..