Friday, March 4, 2011

Teenage Angst


Teenage angst, it's pretty powerful stuff. When you are going through it, you think your life is never going to get better. Ups and downs that make you feel like you're on a rollercoaster... kind of makes you feel a little sick sometimes. My brother was in high school when I was a kid hanging upside down on the monkey bars. He would hole up in his room and play that sad 60's music that either had teenagers dying on Dead Man's Curve or breaking up in Teenager in Love. If I was bored and brave...I'd knock on his door and ask to come inside. Sometimes, depending on just how far he was in "angst," he'd allow me to come in. There were rules though- no talking, don't touch anything and don't even think of messing with the music playing! He wanted to remain in his misery, doomed and gloomy. I would stand there until he would kick me out. It doesn't sound like much fun does it, but it was. He was my brother and I loved him, moody blues and all. He wasn't always like that. Some days he would play with me in the sandbox or ride bikes. And sometimes he would let me ride around in his '56 Chevy with the windows down. That made up for the times he told me to get lost! Remembering him... today would have been his 64th birthday.

11 comments:

  1. Great memories, and my sympathy to you in the loss of your brother, too soon.

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  2. Ahhh...what aa sweet memorial.

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  3. Am hoping that his death was not due to his "angst" and wish that memory wasn't so strong for you.

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  4. I have so many happy memories of my brother. He passed in 2002 from congestive heart failure. I guess it's not the most pleasant of posts, but those memories remain in my heart and it comforts me to write them down. My SISTER-in-law will get a kick out of the music!

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  5. You lost him way too soon.

    Treasure your memories of him.

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  6. An awesome tribute, Joy! He's dancing to these tunes...:)JP

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  7. I turned 64 last January, and oh, I remember those days.

    We mustn't forget the song about the kids whose car was stalled at the train tracks, or even Running Bear and Little White Dove, who drowned in the river trying to get to each other. We used to sing that on the pep-club bus on the way home from out-of-town games. I was the one who always stood up and beat the "drums" on the ceiling of the bus. Heh. We had a wonderful and patient bus driver. Those were the days. We all had "angst". It was cool. We had our worries... Viet Nam for one. And back then, guys got drafted if they didn't enlist first. And everyone knew the drafted ones were the ones who ended up on the front lines. But times were sure simpler then... and hey, gas was 29 cents a gallon.

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  8. Your brother and I are almost exactly the same age. I remember that '60's "angst" music. Another good one was "Teen Angel." Glad you have fond memories.

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  9. I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm so glad that you can look back and remember the good times you had with him, and the "fun" teenage years of drama. I love that he had a '56 Chevy! We are a hot rod family... my hubby's hobby is to fix up old hot rods. We used to have a '57 Chevy. Those are awesome cars!

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  10. I left a comment on your grandson getting his license and decided to stay awhile reading your blog. I came across this post and it was written so beautiful. Words that were so heartfelt and I could see the little girl standing in her brothers room just wanting to be with him...wonderful, special tribute.

    I am so glad I stopped by tonight!

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