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It’s now 2025 and I’m in my mid-thirties with crease lines across my forehead, crow’s feet around my eyes and no longer aiming to be an NBA player. And it’s also Saturday which for some reason is my favorite day of the week but I couldn’t remember exactly why so I had to dig deep then it dawned on me. The answer? Three words, Saturday Morning Cartoons! If you grew up in the 90s in America then chances are you know exactly what I am talking about.
It’s 1996, on a warm Friday afternoon in Texas, and I’ve just come home from school and the weekend couldn’t have come any sooner. It’s been hell of a week (oops, I’m not allowed to say “hell”)…let’s redo that, it’s been a crazy week! I’ve totally suppressed my frustration at the pop quiz my maths teacher decided to take today. And I’m not even thinking about the science project that’s due next week or the group that I was assigned to that includes that loud and annoying girl. All I know is that I am ready for the weekend!
Why am I so excited? It’s not because I’m spending the night with my buddies tomorrow night or because we have family visiting from out of town the next day. What I am really thinking about is two things: I need to wake up at 6am and what am I going to choose to watch and not watch. Kids, this is when we could only record what was playing on the TV by using a VCR. Yeah, the good ol’ days. There were at least 4 channels playing cartoons and the choices were going to determine whether I will be fulfilled at the end of the weekend.
Whether is it was anticipating how Optimus Prime is going to battle it out with the Predacons in Beast Wars: Transformers or if Peter Parker was going to be successfully be the smartest kid in school and the guy who saves the day in Spider-Man: The Animated Series. I could hardly contain myself thinking about whether Wolverine would finally become the leader of the group in X-Men: The Animated Series or if the Mighty Ducks will be gloriously victorious in their fight against the bad guys.
I was a relentless little dude and following the arcs of multiple characters in Street Sharks, The Mask, Gargoyles, Johnny Quest and Superman: The Animated Series but my absolute #1 show, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. I thought to myself, I’d love to be an expert martial artist and have a Tyrannosaurs Rex robot that I could control just like the Red Ranger. Plus, the special episodes of MMPR aired on the weekends and they were a treat! Depending on who you were, Saturday mornings were either a parent’s worst nightmare or a kid’s (i.e. my) absolute dream. I’d be glued to the TV for hours and it was sublime!
This was my Saturday morning every day for at least 3 years back in the mid to late 90s. I didn’t think life could get any better so much so that I didn’t even bother with the weak Sunday morning cartoon schedule. I know now why I feel that Saturdays are my favorite day of the week. Ha! It’s funny how I can recall feelings from when I was young even though my schedule isn’t the same anymore. I guess that can work with all types of feelings. All I know is that I like digging deeper, regardless of the feeling, and discovering the countless stories in my own life. I hope you dig a bit deeper today and own any feelings that come up with compassion and acceptance. Thank you for reading a piece of my story and I’d be privileged to hear yours, should you choose to share it. Have a great weekend!!