Princess Lea (aka Carrie Fisher) just passed away. OMG. What a terrible year for celebrities who passed that left such an impression when I was growing up.
I lost my TV Mom Mrs Brady. I loved that show so much I made my kids watch every episode with me. There were some pretty good parenting lessons on that show. And Marsha.
I lost the next best thing to Santa Claus - Willy Wonka. Man, I really hoped there was a Wonka Chocolate factory growing up just so I could try that everlasting gobstopper. And an oompa loompa was the next best thing to meeting an actual elf.
I lost three stars from the movie that was THE movie growing up. R2D2 (Kenny Baker), Adm Akbar (voice) and Princess Lea. I still remember all the wrong things I made Chewbacca do to that Princess Lea action figure. Greedo never got his turn.
I lost my first celebrity teenage crush, Vanity. Man she was smoking hot. I still have a poster of her and the playboy magazine somewhere she posed in. Two days ago while sick at 2am I found the Last Dragon on cable. Man she was smoking hot. Read how she passed, so so sad.
Yeah, I also lost actors from shows I used to watch when really young like Green Acres, Barny Miller, Alice, and Lois Lane (TV Superman reruns). And yeah, music that was so iconic bringing back memories with my friends from Prince Purple Rain, George Michael and Bowie. But the aforementioned list, crap did it hit me the other night - I'm getting fucking old!
Carrie Fisher was 60 and Vanity was only 57 (as was Prince). WTF! I play pinball and re-live part of the fond memories of my youth at arcades and the wonder video games brought me. Some of these people are etched in those memories of my youth as well.
Everyone dies. I get it, but don't have to like it. It just hit home - pinball isn't hiding the fact - I guess I'm getting older even though I'm still 17 in my head.
The positive, thank god no family members in 2016. Knock on wood