Hangin' Tough

Last night, as I left work at 1 in the morning to catch the express bus on 5th Avenue, I took my usual route, walking through Rockefeller Center when I encountered a largely female mob camping along the sidewalk of 49th street. I knew they must have been camping out for whatever music guest or performance was going to take place the following morning on the "Today" show. But what A-list music star could possibly be worth these ladies' time and energy that they were camped out like Darfur refugees along the sidewalk? Could it be Chris Brown? Daughtry? John Mayer? No...the closer I got to the ragtag group of refugee looking gals, most of whom were around my age, I saw things I haven't seen in 20 years...Dolls, bedspreads, sweatshirts....All adorned with none other than...New Kids On The Block....NKOTB....Like, what circle of hell had I just walked into? Was this 1988 or 2008?

For a moment I felt a secret sense of shame, knowing that at one time in my life I owned the cassingle (remember "cassingles") of "Hangin' Tough". It was purchased by my parents (along with the cassingle of Madonna "Express Yourself") as a reward for being a good boy and staying at my grandparents over the weekend while they went to AC.

I walked past the mob, having a grand ol' time in their sleeping bags and tents, eating chips, taking pictures, having some sort of twisted slumber party in the middle of the street and all I could think of is am I the only one that thought of the roaches all over the gutters crawling on the sidewalk?

Seriously, all I took away from that experience is the thought of these 30 year old women reliving their childhood with cockroaches scurrying over their sleeping bags while they lay there giggling and dreaming of Jordan Knight. Is there something wrong with me?