Champaign is 150 miles and six years away from my life in Chicago. The drive down I-57 was always a long and uneventful one (unless you count the time the Civic’s engine blew-up, but that’s a story for another time). The road from 20 to 28 however has been full of the usual twists and turns one expects during this time of life. Some of your friends are still in school, are already married, or are parents. There are the successful, the less so, and the ones in between. Out of the shielded reality of school we stand on our own making our way through the world.Three recent events have encouraged me to turn a retrospective eye on the past decade. First is the fact that I turned 28 last month. Second, I received the save the date for my 10-year high school reunion. Last, I just found out that they are about to release a Transformers: The Movie 20th Anniversary edition. The first two are understandablely vexing, but surprisingly enough (or not surprisingly if you know me) it was the last that really got me freaking out.
At 28, a ten year high school reunion is pretty much your sign that you are no longer a child. Seriously, this is the stuff that Thursday night sitcom plots revolve around. Guy goes to reunion to confront his high school nemesis and hilarity ensues. Girl goes to show off how thin and hot she has become, while her school-age tormentors have turned into fat cows, and don’t forget hilarity ensues. I guess my point is, the ten year reunion was something mythological existing out in the ether. “No, I’m too young to worry about that.” “Wasn’t the five year reunion just a little while ago?” Well, now it’s here and there’s no avoiding it.
I suppose freaking out is too strong a word, but honestly how could it already be 20 years since Megatron, defeated in the battle to end all battles, delivered a cheapshot fatal blow to Optimus Prime. I hated Hot Rod for distracting Optimus long enough for Megatron to deliver that blow but I forgave him for two reasons. First, he discovered that the Decepticons had commandeered the ship flying into the Autobot base and second he did, after all, redeem himself in the end by opening the Autobot matrix of leadership, becoming Rodimus Prime and defeating Unicron at the end. (To answer that question that's floating in your mind, yes, you should be scared that I wrote about that, and doubly so because I'm currently on a plane flying to California, so it was from memory.)
I suppose the fact that I was able to remember all of that stands as testament to the importance that particular movie held to my childhood. I can remember going to the movie theater and being close to tears when Optimus dies and being near hysterical when Hot Rod turned into Rodimus. Is it really so long ago that we went to the video store to rent the movie for my ninth birthday, on Beta no less? The fact that next year I could buy the movie a drink (you know, if it was human) has started to put my age into a different perspective.Gone are the days where the future is some destination down the road, one that I’ll reach when I’m brought to it. As it turns out, I’m here, so what am I waiting for? As it turns out, I’m not waiting for much. Compared to some my life is very good, to others I haven’t done (or accumulated) enough, but to me it feels right. I work hard to find a balance between being happy with what I’ve accomplished and what there is left to be done. I have a loving family, a beautiful girlfriend, friends that I trust, a good job and a growing faith. Other than that 20th anniversary dvd, what more could I need to face the road ahead?
2 comments:
Uh...you have a really good memory, too. So you've got that going for you! I mean, for a 28 year old, you're pretty sharp. ;)
I'm with you, Joel. I died a little bit when we lost Optimus. Personally, I never really accepted Roddimus. I prefer my robot superheroes to talk without moving their mouths. Maybe that's just me.
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