Entry #1: Green Fists and Men in Tights(Early Memory)

I don't really remember a whole lot of my early childhood anymore. At this point, it's all just a blur of cartoons, and comic books; of Gameboys and bullies. But that being said, I'll never forget one moment that may seem insignificant to most, but to me was a turning point.

When exactly it happened has been lost on me, but happen it did. When I was a young child, my aunt Pattie and uncle Tony(as well as my own parents) bought me a pair of Hulk Fists for my birthday. They were these big dumb green foam fists that made a sound effect of the Hulk roaring whenever they hit something. They might've been a movie tie-in for some new attempt at bringing the green giant to the screen, but I have no idea. All I remember was the sheer joy they brought me whenever I would hit something and I heard that "ROAR!" And with the pair my parents had given me, my friends and I could fight with them. (As safely as children can do, of course.) I loved those fists, and for a time, they were my world, the fantasy bait of every small child, who just wanted to be something more than they already were. But, all good things come to an end, and as of late, they don't work anymore. But I still have at least on pair, and now and then they find their way to my hands, just to recreate the memories of a childhood left behind.

Now, you may wonder, what kind of a turning point is a pair of green fists? Well, good question. It was not the fists themselves, but what they inspired. I had always loved superheroes through movies, or cartoons, or video games, or any other number of mediums, but up to that point, I had never really explored comic books. But something about that pair of dumb foam fists caused me to go to my local comic shop and to pick up comics. I had probably purchased some before, but never in any large quantity or with any regularity. But then, I found myself enthralled by Men of Steel, and Caped Crusaders, and any number of men and women in colorful costumes with amazing powers, or trickery of any kind. Those heroes have been the guiding light in an otherwise dark period of my life, and those green fists are how I got to the point I am at today. And seeing those heroes light up the silver screen has given me the strength to rise up above my problems, to live another day, and to fight on, like a Hulk.

So, thank you Aunt Pattie and Uncle Tony. Thanks mum and dad. I hope those fists were as great a monetary investment for you as they were an emotional investment to me.