Happy Wednesday

Wednesdays have always been my favorite day of the week. For some reason, they make me inexplicably happy. It doesn't matter how crummy the day might be; at the end of the day, I will still sigh... "Ah, I love Wednesdays."

I've tried to trace back my love of Wednesdays and two reasons come to mind -- both which are slightly embarrassing to admit. In middle school, Wednesdays were considered "church night". School sponsored activities (such as basketball or track practice) could not take place on Wednesday night for middle schoolers so that we had an opportunity to attend confirmation class, etc. I ran track in middle school, although not very well, and the mid-week break from having to run sprints, laps, and "Chase the Bunny" laps were always welcome.

Wednesdays also happened to be the night that The Wonder Years aired (for a majority of the series' run). I loved that show. While the nostalgia of the era and a majority of the mixed emotions of reflecting on youth might have been lost on me at the time, they weren't lost on my parents. We watched The Wonder Years as a family, my parents often turning to each other to reminisce on the events that the show revolved around and wove into its plotlines. My stepdad loved music, and the soundtrack for each episode brought back a wave of memories for both my parents. Listening to them share their own memories from that time period is something that I still recall fondly every time I think about The Wonder Years, catch a portion of an episode, or hear Joe Crocker's rendition of The Beatles "With a Little Help from My Friends".

And...I also had the world's largest crush on Fred Savage, who played Kevin, the main character. Fred Savage, with his large brown eyes, floppy black hair, and cute grin. It was such a huge crush for me -- it's the only time I ever sat down to write a fan letter to a celebrity (although I never actually mailed it). In addition to The Wonder Years, I loved all his movies -- The Princess Bride, Little Monsters, The Boy Who Could Fly. Oh, Fred Savage. I still love the show and those movies, but it's always a little strange to watch as an adult now and see young Fred Savage, my childhood crush. Up until two years ago when my mom remodeled my childhood bedroom, there was still a picture of Fred Savage taped to the bedroom wall -- it was from 1997, ripped out of Entertainment Weekly when Fred Savage returned to TV in the short-lived sitcom, Working. When my mom took the photo off the wall, she was careful not to rip it. It's still in the dresser drawer.

So, as today ends, it doesn't matter what has transpired since the time I woke up until now or I finally climb into bed. Today is Wednesday.