When Everything Changed

Introduction

The Behind the Music Series takes place in the town of Whitby, Ontario during the 90's. I think for you, the reader, to fully understand this series you have to understand what times were like in that era.

During the mid-90's everyone treated each other like family. We didn't eat fast food and if we did, it wasn't anything too elaborate. Maybe just a small French fry or chocolate sundae from McDonald's.

There was no bottled water but we didn't care. We'd just grab the water hose for a quick drink. We drank Kool-Aid and ate bologna and PB&J sandwiches. We had Kraft dinner and hot dogs because back then we ate what was set before us without question or else we wouldn't eat at all.

During this era, we actually went outside to play games like Red Light, Green Light, Red Rover, baseball, basketball and, of course, hockey. We'd jump rope, play hide and seek, freeze tag, and Mother May I.

We climbed trees, slugged around wheelbarrows, fished for tadpoles in the creeks, and swam in our neighbor's pools. We watched cartoons on Saturday mornings and we rode our bikes for hours without a cell phone or electronic device.

When we had crushes, they were crushes, not obsessions, and we dated with the purpose of actually getting to know someone instead of just to "sleep" with them.

Halloween was just Halloween and the only thing you really encountered while trick or treating was being scared shitless by the decorations and costumes. Maybe we'd have our pillowcase full of candy stolen but at the end of the night your candy was generally safe, unless it was clearly tampered with.

When we went to "parties," we drank responsibly and the drugs we did were all organic and most likely safer than the alcohol we were drinking.

There were no candy bowls full of prescription drugs that you closed your eyes and took from. There were no fentanyl patches or needles being passed around. We didn't look under the sink and think Draino, bath salts, and aerosol cans looked like a good time.

Kids back then had guns for hunting and never once thought of taking a life, especially not their own. School was mandatory and we watched what we said around our elders because we knew if we disrespected any grown-up, we would get our behinds busted but it wasn't called abuse, it was called discipline!

In the 90's, we weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING except our parents. If someone had a beef, that's what it was...a beef. We often dealt with it by using our fists but once we did so, we were right back to being friends or didn't mess with each other again afterwards.

But those were the times and the children of today will never experience the joys of a simple childhood.