I'm a Goonie

"Don't you realize? The next time you see sky, it'll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it'll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now, they got to do what's right for them. Because it's their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it's our time. It's our time down here. That's all over the second we ride up Troy's bucket. "

I used to think that my brother and sister and I were the only ones who truly knew and loved the Goonies. Hey, I was 12,what did I know? We watched it over 50 times probably, and could quote along with it word for word.

Simply because I grew up in such a small little town, I felt a connection with Mikey, Mouth, Chunk and Data. Why? Because it felt like there was nothing ever to do except what your imagination provided. I imagined great adventures where I found a secret treasure. Not adventures like Brand and Andy. Kissing wasn't a totally awful concept, but it would be another 4 years before I would kiss a boy, so the boy/girl relationships bored me. But the adventure of Goonies called to me. It whispered in my ear that I wanted to do great things. That I wanted to discover something lost and mysterious with my brother and sister and a few friends in tow.

And yet, I never did anything daring, or adventurous, or discover-ing. I've only been to Canada. I've never sailed the ocean or tramped thru a jungle. I have not hunted lions or delivered aid in Africa or even bungee jumped.

But I do not regret my life

Because....in no particular order....I got married at 22.

Had my first child a year and 3 months later.

Then had my second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth children.

I moved around the country, waded (I don't swim) in the Atlantic Ocean, and saw the Statue of Liberty with my sister.

I sang with the Providence singers, went to college, broke my collarbone, and climbed unknowingly into a mountain lion's cave.

I have served others, made others laugh, and given love when it was most needed.

Those are some of the highlights of my life. Nothing exciting, nothing worthy of an unofficial tell all type biography.

But it is my time, my time down here. And I will never ride up Troy's bucket. That is for sure.