May 30, 2008

Hey-ya, My Boyfriend's Back

When I was a young child, my father was a pastor. A normal one and a youth one. Sometimes in the summers (or fall, I don't know. My memory isn't very good) the youth group would travel to the Southern Colorado Rockies and stay at a retreat center called Horn Creek.
I think at least three times my whole family got to be a part of the retreat, and we'd take the long drive from Las Cruces to Colorado.
Most of my memories from Horn Creek are pretty unclear, but there are a few memories that I have that are crisp and clear--just like the air in the Colorado Rockies.
I remember that I befriended a young girl who work ankle braces. I remember being scared out of my mind that a bear was going to use his paws to open the door of the Lodge and eat me in my bed. I [don't] remember rolling off the top bunk in the middle of the night, and my mom telling me about it the next morning. I remember climbing Horn Peak and being forbidden to pick flowers because I would get arrested because it's illegal to pick wild flowers.
Most of all, I remember, "My Boyfriend's Back." I think we were sitting in evening worship or something, and a few of the youth students had put together a skit. I can't recall the exact storyline, but I remember they were a bunch of country people living on the, "Circle C *pregnant pause* RAAAANCH." They said it just like that and I thought it was the funniest thing ever. There was a young woman in the play (although, she looked so much older and cooler and mature to me), she had blond hair and was wearing a dress. And there was one scene where the "bad guy" was putting the moves on her and as she pushed him away, a song started playing. It was the golden oldie, "My Boyfriend's Back." She lip-synced to the song and a group of three girls popped in as the background singers, "Hey-yaaaa, Hey-ya, my boyfriend's back!"
I was absolutely mesmerized. What a funny idea! Lip-syncing! How did these kids become so cool and funny? Will I ever be that tall and blond and cool and funny? Will I ever be that brave? Will I ever get to lip-sync in a youth-group skit?!?!
At that moment I felt inspired. I knew who I wanted to be: that blond girl.
Fifteen years later, I'm well past my youth group years, and I never lip-synced in a youth group skit. The fact is, I was too big of a chicken to do it. That, and the opportunity never presented itself. If it did, I'd so do it.
Till then, I'll just think back fondly on good times in Horn Creek and that crazy lip-syncing girl everytime I hear that old song.

3 comments:

  1. Karen, the only flower you were forbidden to pick was the Rocky Mountain Columbine--the state flower of Colorado. You SO exaggerate things!

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  2. And I believe it's "hey-naaah-ny-na."

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