TNT

It was a blindingly sunny day in mid-winter and I was headed over to some girl's house. For those of you who didn't grow up or have never even been north of the 49th parallel let me try to explain a sunny day in the middle of winter. There are actually quite a few of them. The sky is bluer than in summer when often a white haze covers like a thin wash but it is a deeper blue like you can almost see outer space through it. The sun reflects off the snow covered road, off the snowbanks, off the roof tops like a room full of mirrors. It gives your eyes nowhere to rest. The sunny days are often the coldest as clouds act as an insulating blanket trapping what little heat there is and giving us all a little relief. It's dry and crisp and the spectacular sunshine almost makes you forget the cold

So anyway, I'm 13, turning 14 and two or three of my friends and I were invited over to some girl's house that was about a ten minute walk from my house. I don't remember being particularly interested in any of the girls but I've always had a bad mix of wanting every girl to like me the most and being interested in any girl who actually does. So despite having no specific intentions, I was dressing to impress. I had had girlfriends since elementary school but around this time it seemed to be changing, girls learned the word "immature" and fell in love with the sound, and guys I hung out with started to shape their style of dress and the music they listened to with an eye to what the ladies liked. This still hadn't occurred to me, or if it had I somehow thought my unique coolness would impress them more than if I just parroted the other boys' style.

I put on my tight black jeans, probably a three quarter sleeve concert shirt, maybe a jean vest (though I hope not), parted my longish hair down the middle, all the while blasting TNT by AC/DC out of my one speaker Sears cassette player. I was so pumped. I knew all the words. I had known this song for a few years already but for some reason it had made a big resurgence and was on heavy rotation in my bedroom around this time. I headed out most likely hatless and possibly gloveless as well. The only thing stronger than the forces of nature is a teenager's desire to be cool. I walked along singing the song over and over just under my breath. " See me ride out of the sunset on your colour TV screen. Out for all that I can get, if you know what I mean. Women to the left of me, and women to the right. Ain't got no gun. Ain't got no knife but don't you start no fight."

With the sunshine and the song in my head I was about to explode by the time I got to the house. I went in and my friends were there. They were wearing pastel polo shirts and (perhaps) light blue faded jeans. Their hair was gelled and spiked in what was at the time a Corey Hart inspired hair style ( the important part was to have your bangs combed down onto your forehead while the rest stood straight up). We sat around listening to Honeymoon Suite, Platinum Blonde and what was everyone's favorite song that day, Komerade Kiev or maybe Eurasian Eyes by the above mentioned Corey Hart. I didn't know what to think. I felt betrayed by my friends. They couldn't actually like what was going on here. Why are they putting on this act. I had no chance of the girls liking me most so I quickly found a hundred reasons to hate them. I guess I could have thought "Well, I'm just different, I guess. To each his own." But that was not me. No sir!

" What the fuck is going on here? What's wrong with these idiots? How can I demonstrate to them what a wrong turn they've taken and that the path they are on leads to Dicktown? Your clothes make you look like a child trying to win his mother's approval by making his bed and this music is joyless. I'm 13! I'm alive! I want music that makes me feel bigger and better than I am, makes me feel like I want to hug/ punch someone or anyone! How can I right this ship? I know! You have to hear TNT!"