I don't typically write random posts, but sometimes stories just fall from my fingers — and this was one of those times, lol.
The stuff that was considered "normal" growing up versus now is probably why I understand "older generations" in a way I never did before. Here's the thing: I'm an "older generation" now! I'm saying things like, "When I was your age, we had to...." I'm not going to go full "uphill both ways in the snow" like my dad did — but honestly? I'm getting close!
Walking to School, No Parents Required
I did walk pretty far to elementary school. We walked through woods, across main roads, in heavy snow — and that last part was honestly the BEST. We did it ALL without parents...Not because they didn't want to ensure our safety, but because having your mom or dad tag along just wasn't "cool" — and "cool" still mattered back then. Parents tended to respect that, lol.
Winter in Michigan: I'd be bundled up just like the little brother in A Christmas Story, waddling along in a tiny pack of 2, 3, maybe 5 kids. Plymouth-Canton cut bus service for students who lived a mile or less from school by the time I was in Kindergarten. We were just under a mile, so we walked. And you know what? It was fun, great exercise, and we probably paid better attention in class because we'd already burned off the morning energy before the bell rang.
The Good, the Bad, and the Dodgeball
Those were the days. Gym class was its own kind of traumatizing — The rope climb, as pictured. Dodgeball against a concrete block wall, where "no head shots" was a rule that absolutely nobody followed. It was always the head or the groin. Every time.
But other than that? I genuinely loved growing up in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. There was something about that era — the freedom, the creativity, the way kids just played — that I find myself missing more and more.
Marketplace Gallery: My Happy Place
That nostalgia is a big part of why I'm building out the Retro Room at Miss Mercantile Marketplace. Right now it's got cool items like New Kids on the Block and 90210 memorabilia, the disco ball, vinyl records, some great vintage posters, used teen romance books, a blacklight wall— But my plans are so much bigger than that! The back storefront in general (Marketplace Gallery) is my happy place ❤️ The retro, vintage, antiques...I want it to feel that way for anyone who walks in or shops online.
If you grew up in the same era or earlier, and you feel a pull toward things that defined many of our childhoods— the music, the style, the stuff — you'll understand exactly why I love Marketplace Gallery and our Retro Room. Browse our Antiques & Vintage Collection, our Michigan Themed Collection, and our Time for Fun Collection to see what's in the shop right now. Stay tuned, because there's a lot more coming.
And if you read all of this? Give yourself a gold star. I just meant to share a photo and somehow ended up here. My hands, like my mouth, tend to go nonstop. 🙄