O.k. People have asked me over the years why I got obsessed over the Monkees. So here goes. I will try to explain the last 22 years of my life the best I can.
Over the summer of 1986, my sisters and I were bored out of our minds, so we did what all children do. We turned on the T.V. We flipped through some channels, and settled on Nickelodeon. As it happened, that summer was the 20th anniversary of the Monkees t.v. show, and musical act. Well, we got into it because it was quick moving and funny. I took a liking to Davy Jones, but when my younger sister Nikki decided that he was the cutest, I went to the next best choice. Mike Nesmith. Don't ask me why. It was the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing. I found myself liking the show more and more, and looking forward to it every day. Not long after that was my birthday. I got a few Monkees tapes, and i tortured my whole family for YEARS as my collection grew. My sister was working at the local amusement park at the time, and she told me on my birthday that the Monkees were coming to Lagoon, and I was going to get to go! I was SO HAPPY. I still remember the concert 22 years later even though we were in the bleachers, and they guys looked like chipmunks.
My obsession grew. As another side note, I was born with Spina Bifida, which is a genetic deformity when the spine doesn't close all the way. I spent a lot of my childhood in the hospital, and dr.'s offices, and in clinics being poked and prodded and such. And The Monkees played a BIG part in that . I would take my little walkman to the hospital with me, my mom put up pictures on the walls of one room, and I usually had one magazine or another full of pictures.
They became my "happy place". When I was scared, I listened or ran through songs in my head. When I was sad, it was the weepy sad songs. The music became a comfort to me. In later years, I listened to mainly Michael Nesmith. The music became my "friend" when i wasn't able to play with other children. And to this day, I still pop in a Monkees CD or a Michael Nesmith CD. Though, not as often as i did as a kid. My family still turns the station when they hear a Monkees song. The songs and the show are now a staple at my house, and I have watched my kids, and my sister's kids all get into the fun.
