Band'ed Together

How it happens I don't know.

Or when it happens.

But when it does happen, sometimes it can happen with the force and fury and quickness of a hurricane: One day it isn't there and the next day it is all up in your business and all over the place.

As evidence, I present two topics from my past.

The Garbage Pail Kids and Beanie Babies.

I mean I have no idea why, or how, such things got bigger than others. Take Big Jim. He was awesome. Or his crew I should say. When I was a kid Dr. Steel, Torpedo Fist and Big Jim himself were the shit in my book. But the whole neighborhood didn't feel the same way. And there wasn't a kid I knew who didn't want a Steve Austin action figure. But then the Beanie Babies came down the road and grown adults got caught up in the collection quest. It was a time when things went viral before there was viral. 

So when my kids came home with some rubber-band bracelets I figured nothing to it. 

I had no idea it had already reached Madonna-like proportions.

Parents, I'm referring to ZanyBandz and if you have a child in elementary school you will know what I'm talking about. And you will be able to relate to the frenzy I was exposed to last Saturday morning when I took my boys to the local Learning Express to pick up some of these "much needed" items. I was greeted by a gaggle of parents and their children, all clamoring around the Bandz display, arguing over licensed versus non-licensed items (Duke/UNC insignia versus generic animals or faith-based icons?) and whether to get the 12 or 24 pack. 

My son tells me they are banned in some school systems in my home state.

Fuck. I wish I thought of them first. 

What was all the rage when you were a kid?