Just the other day I was talking with one of my friends about TV shows we weren't allowed to watch as kids. He said things like MTV and R-rated movies. My list, however, took a little more time to cover. That got me thinking about how different my life can be sometimes because of what I wasn't allowed to do as a child. It definitely gets me into some awkward situations...
1. That funny SpongeBob Reference that everyone knows? Yeah, I usually just smile, nod, and try to look cool.
2. Every single sex joke I hear has to be explained by a friend.
3. The only reason I was able to watch Harry Potter was because I was stuck on a band bus full of kids who voted Harry Potter over The Princess Bride.
And yes, I had to call my mom to make sure it was okay.
4. Until I was 17-years-old, I thought people waited until 19 to smoke, 21 to drink, and marriage to have sex.
Boy, was I shocked when I attended my first high school party.
5. Saying cuss words is like committing a crime.
(Not that I have anything against people who cuss, but when I try to cuss, it sounds like a 7-year-old screaming the word sh*t in a grocery store.) See, I can't even type it out. So when I feel the urge to cuss, random words can become "cuss words."
6. Car rides are always filled with throwback songs from middle school that I was not allowed to listen to.
Artists like Brittany Spears, Jay-Z, Eminem, and pretty much any rap artist was off limits. So now, my version of singing along to those songs is saying, "la la la" to the melody.
7. Let's just review the shows/movies/channels that I wasn't allowed to watch.
MTV, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon (Nick at Nite especially), That's So Raven, SpongeBob, Wizards of Waverly Place, Family Guy, 7th Heaven, Harry Potter, scary movies about demon possessions, Halloweentown, and so much more.
8. I've saved the most embarrassing for last. Here goes. Until I was 17 years old, I didn't realize that "pot" and marijuana were the same thing.
In fact, most slang terms for drugs are completely lost on me.
So, next time one of your friends looks confused when you quote Family Guy, just remember that some of us were not exposed to the "cool" stuff like you were.
