Last night I was supposed to be online searching for "activities for the letter N" to get ready for my Monday fun class, when my fingers made it over to another web site that led me to the exciting news of my NKOTB. When asking my parents this morning what they thought my earth shattering, life changing news may be, my mom said, "the bad boys in the hood or something like that must be coming." I'm so proud, they know me so well, just not the name of the group.
So this has led me to ponder all day long about my journey with NKOTB and my best friend from high school, Bernadette. Upon reading the news, I had to email her and let her know that I would fly to Orlando to see them in concert with her one more time, granted I am not about to go into labor. Bern and I met in the 7th grade through her cousin, Eileen, but it wasn't until sophmore year of HS that we formed a life long bond and sickness over the New Kids. Her favorite was Donnie, mine was Joe.
We lived, breathed, and dreamed NKOTB. As soon as the new Tiger Beat was out, we got it. New album, it was ours. Baseball cards, shirts, pillow cases, posters, dolls, key chains....they belonged to us. We skipped school to stand outside the Orlando Arena and hope for a glimpse of them. We had front row seats (on the side) and, thanks to Bern's beauty, we got "after show passes" Of course, we soon learned that you had to be 18 to go to the after show party, at their hotel, but I won't get into all that...we were only 17 and denied.
We did get to meet Joe, Jon, and Jordan when we were 16 at the Orlando Airport. My dad found out they were leaving on Delta (good ol' dad worked for the company) and so, we got to talk to them for a few brief minutes. We also stalked them waited around for them at the Dolphin hotel when they were staying there after a cruise. I got to meet Joe's dad, and have my picture made with him. I was sure to let him know I was Catholic, since Joe's family was, and was sure I would be whisked away to marry Joe. Did I mention we went to Boston after graduation and lied to misled our parents about who we were staying with?
Sadly, our freshman year of college, they broke up. No more concerts, shirts, dolls, posters....sadly, Bern's and my friendship started to drift apart as well. We lost contact after I got married, but she found me again about five years ago when she heard I was pregnant with Elisa. Now she is the only friend from high school I really get a chance to talk to. It's not often, but we fall back into a good rhythm. Excpet we don't talk about NKOTB. We talk about our kids, our houses, how sloppy we are, how we both wished she lived here. I haven't seen her since 1995, maybe NKOTB will be the bridge that brings me back to Orlando, and we can have a Hangin' Tough reunion (sorry, that was cheesy...)
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Jan. 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
You are CRACKING me up! (And I am totally feeling our age difference....)
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Jan. 28, 2008 - ahhh yes...
Posted by bestsister
I clearly remember having youth events at my house where all of us girls would watch the videos and try to learn the dance moves. reaaaaaally cool like. And then I moved to a new city for my grade 10 year and the first girl I met said to me "We could be friends....as long as you don't like New Kids" . I was an island I'm afraid. And every time our worship team picks "Step by Step" by Rich Mullins, my dear husband breaks into his best NKOTB imitation just to make me smile "Step by Step, oooh Baby" those were the good old days!
4 years ago
