Know Your Damn Role.
Every week or so, we've decided that we want to do what all the cool '90's kids do and do a throwback post (because the '90's was the best time, every body knows that. The fashion alone, I mean...). So we made a list of all the things we want to revisit from our childhoods and each week one or both of us will pick something we want to talk about. This week for Throwback ...Sunday ('Stalgia Sunday? I'll work on it.) I've decided to pick Idols and Heroes.
I was never that kid who had one solid hero, I was far too indecisive (it is, by far, my worst trait. Second to my overuse of commas). I drew my inspirations from traits of all my favourite people - my humour was based on Jim Carrey, who I had begun impersonating from the age of three when I watched Ace Ventura for the first time. My love of books and my stubborn independence stemmed from my adoration for Matilda, and my boyish attitude and hatred for baths came from picking up a Beano comic every week at the local newsagents.
Growing up, even into my teen and eventually adult years, I kept most of those people as heroes and maintained most of the things I had learned from them. On my name badge at work, Matilda is still listed as my favourite film and when Liar Liar came to Netflix, I watched it twice in one day. And three more times since. (Although, I gave up my hatred for baths, I am now very fond of them. Sorry, Dennis!)
My indecisiveness on this, however, came to an end when I was six years old. Yes, I still loved Matilda and Jim Carrey and Dennis The Menace. But in 1998, I saw for the first time, the man that would very quickly become My Hero. (yes, the caps are necessary.)
When I was six, I was introduced to The Rock. Now, I don't know if it was the long sideburns, the confidence, the eyebrow raise or just the way that he knew how to work a crowd. But at six years old when I snuck downstairs way past my bedtime and watched the little television in the corner of the living room that was mostly static and noise, I fell in love. On the screen there was a ring and in that ring there was a man who was yelling about something and he had the entire audience going insane all around him and he had them all chanting his name. I decided right there and then that I was either going to BE this man, or I was going to marry him.
At 23, I have to say that of all the decisions I made back when I was a child, that was the best one (Matilda was still a pretty solid choice, Mara Wilson turned out pretty great if her Twitter is anything to go by). I no longer wish to marry The Rock (though I wouldn't say no, who would?) and I no longer wish to be him, but I do continue to be inspired by him. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is not only one of the most successful men in the entire world, not only is he one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, he's also one of the friendliest. He's as loyal to his fans as they are to him and has never lost sight of who he was before his life changed for the better. He is a born entertainer and he just brims with positivity. A positivity that was, unfortunately, lacking in the years when I was growing up. My positivity and my happiness came in the form of Saturday morning TV, watching The Rock layeth the smacketh down on some poor, probably deserving soul.
Saturday and Sunday mornings were spent watching Smackdown and Raw, and those afternoons were spent practicing my own version of those moves with my then-step-cousin. We made wrestling rings out of our mattresses and covered ourselves in bruises trying to out-maneuver one another and, for a long time, those weekends made me the happiest I could ever imagine being.
I wore The Rock's t-shirts proudly growing up, and I still do now. I watch his films and follow his Instagram and support him in all the ways I know how. I was a chubby, blonde haired tomboy from a small town in the UK and for some reason, I saw some kind of magic in Dwayne Johnson. I chose him as a hero and an idol then, and I continue to choose him as one today. He has been open about his struggles with depression and he is open with his fans, telling them stories of darker times and encouraging people, giving them the beliefs that they can get through their struggles, just like he got through his.
More recently, I had a minor surgery that put me on bedrest for a week, and to get through it I surrounded myself, firstly, with good people and, secondly, with ice cream (because I was recovering and it's allowed). I then spent the rest of my time binge watching The Rock's old WWE matches and, I swear, they actually helped heal me. (Well it was that or the strong medication I was put on. It could be either.) (and yes, I'm aware that wrestling is fake, but ten year old me would've fought you over it.)
Coming up in the 90s and 00s nostalgia post (other than a better title, which will definitely, probably happen) we will be talking about our favourite shows, activities, our aspirations, favourite sweets (does anyone remember Fizzy Jerks?) etc. etc.
So until then - who are your childhood heroes? Are they still people that you look up to today? Let us know!
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