H.G. Wells and Spencer Gifts

Growing up I used to have this saying on the wall of my room: "If you knew now what you knew then, you wouldn't know that you knew it." I thought it was profound and that by quoting it I would somehow sound sage and wise. I also thought it was one of those profound aphorisms that could be a life-guide of sorts. Incredible how Spencer Gift Catalog could dispense such treasure for a mere $5.99! Of course it's not profound, wise, or sage. It's a flippin' $5.99 toss-off to try to take a kid's hard-earned allowance. But the rub is this: I know now what I didn't know then. Spencer Gift sold me a time machine. Just saying the words takes me smack in the middle of that peach colored bedroom with the burnt orange shag carpeting that I shared with my brother. There's the Tweety poster on the closet door on his side of the room, and the way-cool Lord of the Rings poster (see: http://www.allposters.com/-sp/The-Lord-of-the-Rings_i96874_.htm ) on mine. Our matching southwestern style patchwork quilts made by Grandma on the beds. Dartboard on the back of the door. I can hear Mom putting the meatloaf on the table and Dad putting the finishing touches on whipping his famous creamy mashed potatoes. There's Barney barking his fool head off like normal and I stick my head out the window for old times' sake and bawl to him, "QuiteDown!" in the slurring way that makes it all one word. Life is good, and $5.99 nothings often do turn into something they weren't or ever intended to be, and the knowing we know is perhaps little stacked against the remembering that will be.