Truly… the Wonder Years

I began watching the Wonder Years on Netflix recently and it inspired a blog.
From the moment this show aired it was my favorite show. I saw almost every episode of this show and had a big crush on Fred Savage too.
The show aired my 7th grade year, which coincidentally was the same as on the TV show.
I remember wishing I had a Kevin Arnold that lived on my street. I wanted that puppy love that Winnie shared with him. To me they were the cool kids when in actuality at the beginning of the show they were a bit awkward. As the show progressed of course they made them cooler but that awkwardness never really went away.
I remember as the show progressed Kevin had summer loves, and fun summer adventures, and I could not wait to experience that too. I thought my life was so boring compared to that show, and that is what I thought life should be.
Looking back I see that I did have my crush, though not truly reciprocated it was a crush none the less. I had good friends that I shared everything with and spend hours talking on the phone together. Once we were old enough to drive my friends and I had our share of adventures and fun times. Now was it anything like what I saw on TV? No, and at the time I thought my life was kind of bland and lacking excitement. Though my life was not easy, I look back on my middle and high school years with the same regard as the fictional Kevin Arnold did. With sweet nostalgia and so much more appreciation than I had at that time.

This show gave such an insight to that era, such an insight to the psyche of the generation before mine. I have said that The Cosby Show should be part of a curriculum of some sort, and this show should too. So brilliantly written and poignant.

Hearing the theme song, the narrative and remembering these episodes is the equivalent comfort food to me. It feels good, like home. I have tried to watch some of my other favorite shows from back then, but few stand the true test of time, and this one definitely does!!!

Even as a black female growing up in the 80’s and 90’s I could totally relate to this show because of the way it was written. Very generic in some ways yet I watch it today with it being set in the late 60’s early 70’s and remember my childhood, my experiences, which to me is brilliant.

My perspective on my life changed, and continue to changes the older I get, and this just adds the proverbial cherry on top to show I didn’t have it so bad after all. Sure I was bullied, and had unrequited love, wanted to be popular so bad I mad a fool out of myself at times, but this show made me realize it was all a part of life, and that made me feel so much better.