This morning I saw Kriss sharing a photo of her “No More Games” CD and saying, “Don’t know how many times I bugged my mom to buy it for me!”
And my brain and I went like …
Among our collection of NKOTB memorabilia, there’s one item that has a special meaning, that takes us right away to a moment we can remember vividly and that it makes us go like …
What’s yours?
For me, it’s a Japanese edition of a CD called, “The Diamonds” with a very special bonus. Here’s the story:
One day, circa 91, I was shopping with my foster mom and we ended up entering a small shopping mall that was lost at the boundaries of the city, if you know what I mean; it was dark, it didn’t have nice stores and I don’t know why we entered it. But! As we were walking through it, I saw in a dusty and creepy music store the following, on the window:
And I went nuts! That was not official! That was something else! Must have it now! “The Diamonds” is a fat cartoon box that comes with a CD and a puzzle, a puzzle that’s meant to be an ornament to hang from the ceiling (which, as you can see, I never dared to put together; this is a treasure!)
The track listing has nine songs: Call It What You Want (C&C Pump It Mix Radio Edit); Games (The Kids Get Hard Mix Radio Edit); Step By Step (four versions including one instrumental), Tonight (two versions, one instrumental) and Let’s Try Again. And the lyrics are written both in Japanese and English.
I recall this moment vividly to this day because:
- I don’t know how or why we ended up at that mall;
- The store was a “music rock store” with creepy Nirvana or whatever t-shirts; it had nothing related to Pop music nor the New Kids On The Block of course, except for this “one item.”
- The item was very expensive; as in, “Honey, are you crazy? You’re father is going to kill me”
- And, above all, it made smile during a very rough time of my life.
It was not a gift a for teenager, but it was something a BH must had. In fact, we didn’t get it that day and I sweated for over a week – probably – until I could convince my parents to purchase it (and we had a good life… except for the fact that I was trapped in some “Kramer Vs Kramer story, the non-divorce version”) I actually prayed to God, “please keep it hidden from other fans until I get it.” And eventually I went back…; and there it was…, waiting for me.
People may think, “it’s just a thing,” but to me it was God giving me a hug… and He always used to hug me – and still does – with things related to NKOTB (oh! the stories I have!). I was feeling miserable during those days and that gift from the other side of world, lost in the middle of nowhere waiting for me, made me smile. As simple as that.
So! Bring in your most treasurable NKOTB memorabilia and your story!
- must be a rare item or have a cool story
- the cool story is absolutely a “must”
- post it on Twitter, Instagram (post, not stories) or Facebook, tag the blog and we’ll cook something cool for the new blog!
Are you in?
For Next Friday, I already have an idea ? Stay tuned!
