July 1, 1985 (Revisiting the Past)

I'm going back through what comprised my senior year of high school and first semester of college in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Come along for the ride. New posts every day or so mixed in with other things.

July 1, 1985. My trip to Mississippi and then Memphis continues. I must have visited the First Monday flea market in Ripley before we left for Memphis as I bought a bootleg tape of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers's Southern Accents. I knew it was a bootleg, but boy was it a bad dub. I'd get the real thing when I got back to Murfreesboro. We wouldn't be staying in Memphis though. We'd be staying with my beloved Aunt Bea in Munford, Tennessee. She was with her 3rd husband by this time and he was super nice. They lived in a ramshackle place that was in process of being finished. It was cool. The best part was that my cousin Lisa was home.

Lisa is 6 months younger than me and she was a regular tomboy growing up. Her brother Chris was a year or so older than me and after their parents had divorced it always seemed like one of them was with their father when I'd visit. A couple of years before I'd had a good time hanging out with Chris so this year it was time to hang out with Lisa. We drove into Millington in her Ford Maverick with 3 on a tree and I got the latest Rolling Stone magazine at a Wal-Mart. Then we visited a girl friend of hers. She was cool and I flirted with her the whole time. Then we went back to Munford as the sun was going down. There used to be a big drive-in between Millington and Munford and I recall that 2010: The Year We Make Contact was playing. Lisa said we should rent some movies so she stopped at a tiny country store. 

The store had Risky Business which I hadn't seen so we got that and browsed some more. Then I saw it. A box featuring Emilio Estevez on it. It was Repo Man. So I insisted we had to rent that too. We watched Tom Cruise's breakout film first and I loved it. The story was great and the moody score by Tangerine Dream was incredible. The moment I heard Iggy Pop and saw Mike Nesmith's name I know Repo Man was going to be awesome. Filled with punk rock, aliens, and strangeness it was wonderful. And to think I discovered it in some tiny country store renting out videotapes to make some extra money. The Eighties were interesting times. We watched both movies twice. Once that night and once the next morning. 

Then I was off for Memphis with my Mother and Aunt Bea. I think Lisa had work or something. I was going to see my dorm room and tour Memphis State University and then I had talked my Mother into driving to Beale Street. It was going to be a fun day.

To be continued.