Tuesday, November 15, 2005

The day I realized I am no longer cool.

Phantom Scribbler said in a comment to the post below that she is not cool enough. I beg to differ. She continues to be cool and I, after hitting my peak of coolness in college - what with the RHPS and the being on the radio - swiftly fell into a slough of uncool quicksand. This is the story of the day I realized that I no longer had even a modicum of coolness left to me.

It was five years ago. Perhaps almost to the day...I'll have to check. We heard that RHPS was going to be shown at a nearby college campus. It was going to start at the traditional time, so we planned to have a late supper and then go join the masses of costumed Washingtonians. Under my shirt, I was wearing a sparkly boustier for old-time's sake.

We went to an Indian restaurant. The food was good. We ate and talked. At about 10:00PM we left. We got into the car. We sat there. We looked at each other.

"Home?" I asked.

He agreed. We were asleep by the time the first tickets were being taken. All coolness stripped from me. Gone.

One year later, I was 6 months pregnant with Muffin Man.

Five years later, I'm wondering how old MM will be the first time he sees it. And will he be horrified or impressed that I used to be one of the insane obsessed weirdoes people who get up on stage and do the whole thing by heart? Will I ever tell him that I've seen it over a hundred times?

Will I ever let him see pictures of me with a spiral perm?

13 comments:

Phantom Scribbler said...

Ah, you can't wiggle out of it that easily. Just because you need more sleep as an adult than you did as a teenager does NOT make you cease to be cool.

You are still so! cool! And I have only seen RHPS once. So! uncool!

Anonymous said...

I, too, refuse to believe that you have lost your coolness! Maybe it doesn't mean much coming from a recovering band geek like me, but I think you're tres cool and my coolness factor goes up exponentially just by virtually hanging out with you.

Suzanne said...

Nope, you're still cool. That kind of thing sticks with you forever!

Beth Fish said...

I only saw it in a theater once - as a teenager. Now that is way past my bedtime. :)

halloweenlover said...

Am I going to stick out as totally utterly uncool if I tell you I've never seen it? Bits and pieces, but never the whole thing.

I think MM will think you are totally cool for having done so brave and exciting and funky.

Scrivener said...

Ah come on, you put this post up pretending to think of yourself as uncool just to elicit the comments reassuring you, didn't you? ;)

You are totally cool. Cool goes way deeper than how late you stay awake.

jemison said...

Cool schmool. I'm now Superman to the little booglet--that's a lot cooler than I could have imagined. BTW, been reading her Olivia the last few nights. Good book--thanbks for recommending it. I also finally tracked down and order Andrew Henry's Meadow. Another good one with great illustrations--if a little too long for a 2 year old at this point.

Liz Miller said...

I definitely think it's cool to be a hero to Muffin Man, and I agree that early bedtimes are not the only factor in coolness but consider these facts:

When given a childless day I would rather go shopping at CostCo and Wegman's (oooooh, Wegman's) than see a movie in a theatre (even HP IV)

Aside from Curse of the Wererabbit, the last movie I saw in a theatre was either HP I or The Lord of the Rings I. I think it was LOTR.

Aside from going to see Corndog, the last concert I went to see was The Wiggles. And that was a year ago.

And....gasp....I don't own ANY blue mascara. Or black lipstick. And....I no longer think that baby oil qualifies as sunscreen...I don't own any funky jewelry (it's all tasteful and grown-up). I no longer own a Swatch. All my shoes are blue, black, or brown.

C'mon guys, you know I have to turn in my cool card when I don't have any Vans!

Unknown said...

At least you *were* cool once upon a time. I was never, ever cool. The urge came upon me late. At 39, I started admiring the purple-black hair of the girl making my espresso, and by then it was too late.

Unknown said...

I only saw it 57 times, but once was in New York.

You know, I think I'm cool, but I know I'm not hip. Being aware of the difference is the important part.

Mommygoth said...

You're definitely still cool. I promise. And you're cooler than cool, because you're "old school". You can't learn that or acquire it - you were cool in the 80's, and no one can top that now. (this is what I tell myself, by the way, whenever I pass some little whippersnapper who makes me feel old!)

Running2Ks said...

I think you are very cool. And I am obviously not the only one :) So, like I said to APL, believe me now or believe me latah...

Yankee, Transferred said...

You want to meet uncool? Ask my kids how uncool I am. I'm beyond uncool-they think I am NUTS