Ah, the Nineties

It was a slow television night, other than the Office.

We put the kids to bed, and I started channel surfing around 8pm. I narrowed it down to watching an NBA game (Miserable these days, I miss the 90's) or Saturday Night Live: the 90's.

SNL won.

It's amazing how much that crew impacted the way people my age think and act. Okay, maybe a little overblown, but man, put a bunch of 30 somethings together and talk about Farley, Sandler, Myers, Spade....and we'd be laughing in no time, and for hours.

As I watched, I couldn't help but reminisce on a great decade. I was born in the 70's, raised by the 80's and grew up in the 90's. The 90's were great.

As far as the show, it wasn't innocent humor, but the things they did then that might have "pushed the limits" wouldn't make people blush today. Not saying it's right but it wasn't over the top like today's stuff.

Back then, as weird as that is to say, people weren't so sensitive. You could crack a joke on a politician and it was just that a joke. You didn't have a critic taking apart everything they did.

Personally, I had alot of great times. I lost the braces and glasses. I had great summer and winter jobs to help get me through college. I felt like I still had the "seasons" in my life. Summer, Fall (College), Winter (1 more semester of college), Spring (just a few more weeks of college) and Summer again.

I met some great people who became great friends. I don't see many of them anymore, but I do think fondly of those times. They helped me become me. There were heartaches and heartbreaks, but they toughened me up.

There was alot of laughing. Alot of late nights shooting hoops. Working out and getting ripped. Mondays playing 45 holes of golf. Breaking 80 for 18 holes. Softball championships. Getting my first real job.

The nineties brought us (or in my world, brought me) the Fab 5. Those guys changed college hoops from style of play to style of the uniforms. Baggy shorts and black socks. I'll admit it, I rocked those things within weeks of C Webb and Jalen breaking em out.

Shaq was becoming "The Most Dominant Player Ever", in his own words.

The Pistons drafted Grant Hill. A class act athlete who was supposed to change the game. Fill the void left by Michael Jordan....Ah, yes. I started my Jordan collection in the 90's.

The late 90's brought us Tiger Woods, who until recently was my all-time favorite athlete.

I gravitated to Deion Sanders. I just like the swagger that those guys brought. I've always gravitated or was a fan of athletes or people that had a swagger. Stand tall and stand proud.

Maybe it was because I was (am) short and reserved. I lived vicariously, I don't know. But they had fun too.

Those are things I try to exude today. Pride, strength, confidence and swagger. And I like to have fun.

But I digress. All I really wanted to say is that I enjoyed the nineties. They made a mark on my life. Now...

"Lay off me I'm starving!...Or you'll be living in a van down by the river...."