Gotta Have It

Every few years a new fad arises to tantalize folks of all walks of life.

 

Remember the hula hoop?  That was a fad for nearly everyone except Hawaiians.  How about the Frisbee and whiffle balls?   Also fads.

 

Superballs, slime, Slinky, pogo sticks, Razor scooters, ape-hanger handlebars and banana seats for bicycles, are all examples of fads, too.

 

A fad is a form of behavior that becomes obsessive to a large number of the population, and can be found virtually everywhere.

 

Throwing a Frisbee on the beach and in school quads was unavoidable in the 1960’s.  Some folks were good at passing a flying disc to another person, others not so much.  The good ones developed tossing a Frisbee into a sport of ersatz golf, still being played today.

 

Whiffle balls and bats – once found near every toy counter – were used to aid actual organized Whiffle ball tournaments, likely for frustrated baseball players such as myself.  They are constructed from plastic, with the balls containing large perforations making them less-than-aerodynamic, thereby precluding extended flight.

 

My sister had a hula hoop as a kid, only to see it mysteriously vanish one trash-collection day.  Otherwise, it could be found lying in the yard, unused.

 

Tons of kids my age had old bikes that needed freshening for the age.  Rather than tossing them into the dump, they were retrofitted with tall handlebars and elongated seats.  These accessories made them appear more modern and added a few more years of use for just a couple of dollars.  Another fad.

 

Each child in America had to have a Razor scooter at the turn of the last century.  These aluminum foot-powered devices came with just enough accessories to introduce kids and their parents to their local hospital emergency room personnel.

 

These things were no more dangerous than those steel roller skates that my sister also had.  Her skates needed a wrench called a key to fit them to your saddle shoes.  These skates were endorsed by the Orthopedic Association of North America.  Please include skateboards in this list of potential widow-makers.

 

Let us not forget Beanie Babies.  This was akin to the Enron scam that bankrupted much of America.  BBs were small stuffed animals that appealed to adults as well as children.  They came in various designs, and an entire set was needed to make them worth anything.  To complete those sets, people were spending their trailer rent to acquire that stuffed red crab, only to realize another Baby was just released to create more economic drama.  These Beanie Babies can be found today at yard sales and thrift stores, nationwide.

 

But, the rich are not immune to fads.  A handful of years ago, everyone with a pulse suddenly bought an SUV.  Not sure why, gas companies delightedly raised the price of a gallon of fuel by $1.50 as a way to say, “Thanks!”

 

Today, 11 people do not have SUV’s, and those people are blind and cannot drive.

 

The latest fad is to stay Ebola-free.  Not exactly sure how it is transmitted or treated, the hemorrhagic disease has the population on edge.  Meanwhile, our national leaders are sure no one will get it in America.  Unfortunately, hundreds of Americans are being treated for it, and the president wants to bring additional infected Africans to America to prove he knows what he is doing.

 

This is irresponsible coming from a hapless leader.  Let’s let this fad stay overseas and create a new toy.