More Than Meets the Eye
About a year a go I had to go Arizona for a claim, and on my way back, as I was crossing the Hoover Dam, I saw a crowd of people gathered on one area of the sidewalk. This caught my attention, so I tried to see what everyone was looking at, and all of the sudden, emerging from the crowd was Jon Voight. So, naturally, I grabbed my camera and snapped a picture.
I meant to post it here a while a go, but I didn't know what witty thing I would write to go along with it, so it sat on my computer for a year.
Then, a couple of months a go, I heard that the Transformers movie would be released, and I asked Candi if she wouldn't mind seeing it, mainly since we only go to the movies once or twice a year. She agreed, and the seven year old boy inside me jumped for joy.
About three weeks a go I saw a commercial for Transformers, and that's when everything came together. While watching the commercial, I realized that a) it starred Jon Voight, and b) part of it took place at the Hoover Dam. Ding, ding, ding, bells are going off in my head. It wasthen that I realized that I just happened to drive through one of the locations of the only movie that I REALLY wanted to see this summer.
Long story short, yesterday Candi and I saw Transformers, and I was nearly beside myself when the Hoover Dam scenes took place. (I would have been, but the theater was so crowded, there was no where for me to sit.)
This brings me to one of the few painful memories that I have from my childhood. (If I have already told you this story, my apoligies; if not, sit back, relax, grab the tissues.) It was Christmas, 1984. (Maybe 1983, the pain clouds the memory.) All I wanted for Christmas were Transformers toys, specifically Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots and the biggest. Since everyone knows how the Santa system works in the Willhite family, I didn't get to choose which gifts I opened first, I was at the mercy of whomever held the position of power. It was probably Mom or Dad, but lets not forget that in 1984 Cassidy ruled the family with an iron fist, so she may have been calling the shots. (An iron fist within a velvet glove, mind you, but still an iron fist.) Anyway, I knew that there was a large present for me under the tree from the Padres, and I just new that it was my friend OP. One of the earlier presents that I opened was one of the other Autobots, which did nothing but whet my appetite.
As the moment grew nigh, the butterflies were forming a mosh pit in my stomach, no doubt dancing to a heavy metal version of the Transformers theme song. ("Autobots rage their battle to destroy the evil forces of, The Decepticons!") The large gift was placed in my hands, I smiled. I tore a little of the paper off the top and saw a picture of Optimus Prime, I cheered. I finished unwrapping the gift and realized it was too light to be the Optimus Prime action figure, my stomach dropped. I discovered that it was not Optimus Prime, but a carrying case for all of the Transformers that I would one day collect, I cried. (Like a little baby girl.)
I've still carried a torch for the Transformer's franchise over the years, as is evidenced in my excitement for the film. In fact, about a year a go, I thought Campbell might enjoy watching the cartoons, so we got a DVD of some of the episodes, but Candi and I decided that they were a little too violent. (Oh, how the tables have turned. Now it's me doing the dream crushing.)
I meant to post it here a while a go, but I didn't know what witty thing I would write to go along with it, so it sat on my computer for a year.Then, a couple of months a go, I heard that the Transformers movie would be released, and I asked Candi if she wouldn't mind seeing it, mainly since we only go to the movies once or twice a year. She agreed, and the seven year old boy inside me jumped for joy.
About three weeks a go I saw a commercial for Transformers, and that's when everything came together. While watching the commercial, I realized that a) it starred Jon Voight, and b) part of it took place at the Hoover Dam. Ding, ding, ding, bells are going off in my head. It wasthen that I realized that I just happened to drive through one of the locations of the only movie that I REALLY wanted to see this summer.
Long story short, yesterday Candi and I saw Transformers, and I was nearly beside myself when the Hoover Dam scenes took place. (I would have been, but the theater was so crowded, there was no where for me to sit.)
This brings me to one of the few painful memories that I have from my childhood. (If I have already told you this story, my apoligies; if not, sit back, relax, grab the tissues.) It was Christmas, 1984. (Maybe 1983, the pain clouds the memory.) All I wanted for Christmas were Transformers toys, specifically Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots and the biggest. Since everyone knows how the Santa system works in the Willhite family, I didn't get to choose which gifts I opened first, I was at the mercy of whomever held the position of power. It was probably Mom or Dad, but lets not forget that in 1984 Cassidy ruled the family with an iron fist, so she may have been calling the shots. (An iron fist within a velvet glove, mind you, but still an iron fist.) Anyway, I knew that there was a large present for me under the tree from the Padres, and I just new that it was my friend OP. One of the earlier presents that I opened was one of the other Autobots, which did nothing but whet my appetite.
As the moment grew nigh, the butterflies were forming a mosh pit in my stomach, no doubt dancing to a heavy metal version of the Transformers theme song. ("Autobots rage their battle to destroy the evil forces of, The Decepticons!") The large gift was placed in my hands, I smiled. I tore a little of the paper off the top and saw a picture of Optimus Prime, I cheered. I finished unwrapping the gift and realized it was too light to be the Optimus Prime action figure, my stomach dropped. I discovered that it was not Optimus Prime, but a carrying case for all of the Transformers that I would one day collect, I cried. (Like a little baby girl.)
I've still carried a torch for the Transformer's franchise over the years, as is evidenced in my excitement for the film. In fact, about a year a go, I thought Campbell might enjoy watching the cartoons, so we got a DVD of some of the episodes, but Candi and I decided that they were a little too violent. (Oh, how the tables have turned. Now it's me doing the dream crushing.)
posted by Campbell Willhite at
7:54 PM
1 Comments
