This post has been sitting in drafts since March 2015.
So when I think of my childhood I think of all the hours I sat in front of my TV and connected with people from TV shows. As many of yall know I am pretty obsessed with music. The first show I ever watched as a kid was called Video Soul. I was so little that I didn't even know the name of the show. My cousins and I use to call it videos . ( so creative) . This was way back when country people didn't even have an option for cable. ( side eye) Sometimes my grandparents would even watch it with me.
Then there was TRL with Carson Daily on MTV. When I started watching MTV my love for music went into overloaded. This is how I learned about so many genres of music. But as I got older and the time of the show changed from 4 to 3 it made it harder for me to get to watch and when I was able to watch a couple minutes they cut down on the amount of times they actually showed the videos on the countdown.
Sept of 2000 106 & Park came to BET. Or as I like to call it Hundred 6 & Park. I'm not sure if I saw the first show but when I did I remembered there was this super tall guy with a hair style I had never seen before.( reminiscent of alien vs. predator) And this little woman that had curly hair,cute clothes and a hilarious smile. This show came on at 5 and I cant even tell you how many years I set in front of my living room TV watching this show. You have to remember this was the age before videos were online and YouTube didn't exist. So if you wanted to watch your favorite video you had to be in front of your TV or record it on a VHS . You had to go to the kitchen or the bathroom on commercial breaks because if you missed it, it was gone forever. ( or until the next day when it was voted back on the show)
I was obsessed with Free and I thought she had the coolest job ever! Then one day out of the blue Free stop coming and AJ told the world that they were leaving. I sat in front of my TV screen crying like someone told me I wasn't going to be able to see my best friend again. I didn't understand why these people I had "grew up" admiring were no longer going to be apart of my life. ( dramatic) I watched them M-F from 5-630. They were apart of my extended family. They opened my eyes, formed my opinions, brought my dreams to life.
After they left I watched a couple episodes here and there. I didn't feel the same connection as I had with Aj and Free. (I'm not a fan of change.) So I didn't even really give them a chance. By this time the Internet was a serious information source so I could look up clips to interviews or I would know if Free or Aj would should up for an appearance which wasn't often. I had gotten to the point where I was only watching the New Years Eve specials. I even traveled to New York and went to a taping of the show in 2013. The hosts were Bow Wow and Keyshia Chante by this time. They were nice but they didn't have the chemistry Free and AJ had.
One day I was surfing the Internet and saw that 106 was having their farewell week. I was thinking farewell? Farwell for what! But All of their hosts came back to be a part of their last show. And as the last frame came across the TV I cried. 14 years now over.
I just wanted to put out there that for some kids are interested in different things. And due to those things it inspires them, keeps them out of trouble, or just helps keeps their mind of the life they are currently living. And although I felt my childhood was good I appreciate positive programing. This show and many others have helped inspired me to blog and have music be my outlet.
