I love this Carley. I definitely had "my shows" which I especially remember watching as a treat when I was home sick. I also loved the Price is Right and especially Plinko. I remember some other game shows like Hollywood Squares with celebrities I had no idea about out. I remember that Price is Right was on at 10 and after that I liked Perry Mason which was on at 11 and after that sometimes the soaps. Mornings also had reruns of Who's the Boss. Only in junoir high did I start watching shows that were more current like Cosby and Family Ties. I like to think even then I sensed something rotten in the Cosby show's performance of family values whereas I always had the sense Michael J fox was a good egg despite making a convincing smarmy right wing teen. Outside of TV my sister and I had elaborate games of playing pioneer, writing "plays" and playing endless boardgames. I also liked to read encylopedias somewhat in order. I didn't discover any porn but I hid Sweet Valley High books in a drawer as if they were, and later I would change the channel when people came in if I watching certain shows that in retrospect were not that embarassing at all. Now with my kids having everyone one one screen agreeing on what to watch feels so wholesome . . .
I was really into The Cosby Show and Family Ties. I didn't have any sense of the horribleness of Bill Cosby, but I was mostly watching for Lisa Bonet because she was such a style icon. When A Different World came out, I was obsessed. I loved Who's the Boss too. That's so interesting about the Encylclopedias. We had this really crappy set that we bought slowly from the grocery store with tiny stamps. That was kind of thrilling actually, like this week, we're getting K! So different now you're right. I don't have cable, but streaming stuff of course, but the TV was always on growing up. Now we only watch very particular things, and yes mostly together. Thank you for reading and sharing your summer experiences. I find summer time to be so interesting right now at age 51.
I actually would do this thing where I read and article and then looked up the articles that were "realted to it" - I like to joke I invented the hyperlink. Something to do with a mania I have for ordering my reading even now.
Lisa Bonet was everything! And I loved a Different World which actually had a plot line about a character taking on extra jobs because she didn't want to take a scholarship from a company that was invested in South Africa. And Marisa Tomei!
My dad always brought me office supplies, too! We were not allowed to watch tv growing up, so I spent most of my time outdoors. Our yard had a portion of woods and a small creek, and I found the old dump behind the house next door and spent many hours excavating old Avon face cream jars, silverware, etc. Lots of gathering (poisonous) berries, bark, various pods, to "store for the winter" lol.
Oh the dump sounds fantastic. I loved old Avon face cream jars! I think it was probably a good thing you couldn’t watch as much TV as I did. Maybe I shouldn’t have watched any of it because now it’s seared into my soul. Thanks for responding Erin!
I found a dump behind the place we moved to here in upstate NY (Saranac Lake) in 2021/2022 and excavated it again. I should really write an essay about it. It's one of my favorite things!
Carley, thank you so much for including me in your essay, it’s so rich in detail I’m going back to read again! Many thanks. Ps - I was a big Nancy Drew fan.
You described my summers too! The amount of shared experiences seems especially interesting because that doesn’t happen as much today. You covered so much. Here are a few others I remember:
• Making mix tapes
• Playing Truth or Dare
• Watching Oprah at 9 am and Donahue at 3 pm
• Getting muddy playing Slip ‘n slide
• Walking to stores, like Venture, or taking the bus to the mall
• Babysitting, lots of babysitting (and not always by choice)
• Being dropped off at the pool during mom’s lunch hour and getting picked up at 6:00.
I love this Carley. I definitely had "my shows" which I especially remember watching as a treat when I was home sick. I also loved the Price is Right and especially Plinko. I remember some other game shows like Hollywood Squares with celebrities I had no idea about out. I remember that Price is Right was on at 10 and after that I liked Perry Mason which was on at 11 and after that sometimes the soaps. Mornings also had reruns of Who's the Boss. Only in junoir high did I start watching shows that were more current like Cosby and Family Ties. I like to think even then I sensed something rotten in the Cosby show's performance of family values whereas I always had the sense Michael J fox was a good egg despite making a convincing smarmy right wing teen. Outside of TV my sister and I had elaborate games of playing pioneer, writing "plays" and playing endless boardgames. I also liked to read encylopedias somewhat in order. I didn't discover any porn but I hid Sweet Valley High books in a drawer as if they were, and later I would change the channel when people came in if I watching certain shows that in retrospect were not that embarassing at all. Now with my kids having everyone one one screen agreeing on what to watch feels so wholesome . . .
I was really into The Cosby Show and Family Ties. I didn't have any sense of the horribleness of Bill Cosby, but I was mostly watching for Lisa Bonet because she was such a style icon. When A Different World came out, I was obsessed. I loved Who's the Boss too. That's so interesting about the Encylclopedias. We had this really crappy set that we bought slowly from the grocery store with tiny stamps. That was kind of thrilling actually, like this week, we're getting K! So different now you're right. I don't have cable, but streaming stuff of course, but the TV was always on growing up. Now we only watch very particular things, and yes mostly together. Thank you for reading and sharing your summer experiences. I find summer time to be so interesting right now at age 51.
I actually would do this thing where I read and article and then looked up the articles that were "realted to it" - I like to joke I invented the hyperlink. Something to do with a mania I have for ordering my reading even now.
Lisa Bonet was everything! And I loved a Different World which actually had a plot line about a character taking on extra jobs because she didn't want to take a scholarship from a company that was invested in South Africa. And Marisa Tomei!
My dad always brought me office supplies, too! We were not allowed to watch tv growing up, so I spent most of my time outdoors. Our yard had a portion of woods and a small creek, and I found the old dump behind the house next door and spent many hours excavating old Avon face cream jars, silverware, etc. Lots of gathering (poisonous) berries, bark, various pods, to "store for the winter" lol.
Oh the dump sounds fantastic. I loved old Avon face cream jars! I think it was probably a good thing you couldn’t watch as much TV as I did. Maybe I shouldn’t have watched any of it because now it’s seared into my soul. Thanks for responding Erin!
I found a dump behind the place we moved to here in upstate NY (Saranac Lake) in 2021/2022 and excavated it again. I should really write an essay about it. It's one of my favorite things!
Omg you really should, like this is one of your things!
This is so great. And I can’t believe you remember so much detail! What did I do during the day when I was a kid, I have no idea mostly…?
Lol it’s too much detail but thank you 🩷🩷🩷
Yes, what did Amy Shearn do all day during her middle school summers? I want to know.
Well middle school summers I was at theatre camp or overnight camp. That's right THEATRE CAMP bb
Yes! I see this for you. One day remind me to tell you about the anti-drugs improv troupe I was in called Awareness Theater.
Carley, thank you so much for including me in your essay, it’s so rich in detail I’m going back to read again! Many thanks. Ps - I was a big Nancy Drew fan.
Thank you for your great essay!
You described my summers too! The amount of shared experiences seems especially interesting because that doesn’t happen as much today. You covered so much. Here are a few others I remember:
• Making mix tapes
• Playing Truth or Dare
• Watching Oprah at 9 am and Donahue at 3 pm
• Getting muddy playing Slip ‘n slide
• Walking to stores, like Venture, or taking the bus to the mall
• Babysitting, lots of babysitting (and not always by choice)
• Being dropped off at the pool during mom’s lunch hour and getting picked up at 6:00.
Thanks Carly!