In the Spring of 86, I was finishing up the second half of my sophomore year in Lufkin and counting down the days until I moved back home to Livingston. While Lufkin was not for me, there were a few key historical events that took place that Spring that I will never forget.
The first event was the tragic disaster of the Space Shuttle Challenger on Tuesday, January 28th. I remember it vividly as I was headed to the tennis courts after changing in the locker room and one of my teammates, Chris Guiterrez, mentioned to me that the Space Shuttle had just blown up. I remember saying to him that it wasn’t cool to joke about that kind of thing but he was serious. The Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard, including a teacher, Christa McAuliffe. It was a surreal moment that I’ll never forget. The bizarre thing is that two years later, Chris, who first told me about the Challenger explosion, would pass away from some accident in his home along with his mother. I was already back in Livingston at that time but those two events have always stuck with me.
Moving to a brighter spot in 1986, Jack Nicklaus won his 18th major at the 50th Masters in Augusta, GA. He was 46 at the time and while you can’t tell in the picture for this post, I am actually wearing a commemorative yellow Criquet Shirt with 86 stitch on the pocket. Criquet launched the shirt this year as a tribute to his win. I liked golf but didn’t play much at the time and seeing Nicklaus win that tournament forever made me a fan.
One of the biggest things in music to happen in 86 was the release of Van Halen’s “5150”. This was huge because after “1984”, David Lee Roth exited the band and this album marked the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen. At the time, I was skeptical because I was a huge Van Halen fan but those fears were soon put to rest as soon as I heard “Why Can’t This Be Love”. I was sold! The entire album was incredible and Sammy’s voice was unmatched. It was still the Van Halen vibe but with incredible vocals, both on the album and live. It was a spectacular way to start the summer back home in Livingston. Just in case you need a refresher, you can find the awesomeness HERE.
I use the phrase “Why Can’t…" in the title, not only for the Van Halen song but also because it was sort of my mantra. I found myself asking “why can’t” to a lot of things. I was tired of living in the ethnocentric bubble that my family or Polk County seemed to believe needed to surround me. It was a great summer being back home with my friends and heading into the Fall for my junior year. I was ready to be mobile and bought a Yamaha Scooter (aka Vespa), which wasn’t the coolest thing in the world but did get me around. I eventually got my first car, which was a Ford Escort SS, and to be honest, it was a total piece of crap. I also had a huge crush on Christiana Ramirez, which had lingered since junior high. I’m fairly certain all boys my age had a crush on her at that time but I’ll only speak for myself. The stars never completely aligned for Christina and me during those years but she will forever remain a cherished friend of mine. In fact, she comes to mind anytime I hear “Your Love” by The Outfield. Legend has it, there is a very innocent story behind this and if there is, then its something that will remain just for Christina and I. That being said, I’m fairly certain John Cathey and Ronnie Morris may argue they are part of it but nope, I think that will always be just mine and Christina’s. So, Christina, click here because this one is for YOU.
As I’ve said in numerous posts, the ’80s was my absolute favorite decade. Looking back, I didn’t seem to let a lot of things stress me out too terribly bad and simply enjoyed a wonderful coming of age period. Sure, I made a lot of mistakes but I wouldn’t change a thing because I cherish the wonderful memories and friendships built. As you can tell from the side by side photos I’ve aged quite a bit in the last 34 years but the great thing is that I can hear a song from back then that instantly brings to life a vivid memory, which inevitably brings a warm, youthful smile to my face. Isn’t that what life is supposed to be about?
18 of 50 - 1986