Retro is in the heart

I remember when Nina sang about her 99 red balloons, I remember parachute pants and The Parachute Club. I remember ringing in the new year at Montreal’s Metropolis in 1991, just shy of my 19th birthday. I remember scrunching my socks down into my shoes and I remember when Lady Miss Kier was the precursor to Lady Gaga, singing about groove living in your heart.

A friend of mine was on Facebook last week posting videos that she labeled “retro” and that got me thinking: I was around when all of these videos were hitting screens across the country, so would I be considered retro?

I was there dancing in the clubs when Madonna first justified her love. I loved, loved, loved the video not for the raunchiness but because it pushed the envelope. And, I’m not one to linger in the past though I do like to reminisce about the good times, but who doesn’t.

I have long since retired my 80’s “Facts of Life” hair (The Man called me “Jo” when he saw a circa-1985 pouffy hair picture of me) and I’ve got no clothes hanging in my closet that would be considered 1990s, hell even millennium worthy. But, there are a few things I do hold onto dearly: Friendships and loyalties.

I have been blessed with a few very important long-time friendships. Anasatan and Mags I know you’re out there, lurking in the shadows. I first set eyes on Anasatan in my grade seven class, thinking at first that she was a cute Native Indian boy. She had the dark hair and darker skin. Little did I know she did have a bit of Native in her (among many others including French and Slovak). My crush was immediately crushed, stomped upon even, when she turned out to be 100% girl. Oh well, I got a new friend and that was okay by me. It doesn’t hurt that she makes the best perogies this side of the Iron Curtain.

Our friendship has lasted since 1982, taking a small hiatus while she got married and had babies and I rediscovered myself after my first marriage. It has not waivered since, and even during this hiatus where we did not know where the other turned up, we were continually trying to find each other to reconnect. She was never far from her thoughts and I from hers.

We’re now set to celebrate our Year of the Cougar/Lounge Lizard birthday next year. Next January will see the lot of us filling a hall with the most Cougarish outfits we can find and dancing the night away in celebration of each of us reaching our 40th year – our best year yet.

We’re both poised for greatness – fabulous at 40. I may hold onto things I love (I’ve got a china cabinet that used to reside in my grandmother’s kitchen that will reside in any of my dwellings and a chair from the same era and house), but more importantly I hold onto great friendships and a love of great music no matter the era.

If that’s retro, consider me guilty. Groove is in the heart, everybody.

And now for your viewing pleasure, here is a little video that captured my attention of a band called OkGo. It’s on YouTube. Enjoy. They’re very groovy.

Peace out, yo.