Memory Lane Friday - It Was My Friend's Idea

This week's Memory Lane Friday topic is "It Was My Friend's Idea."

I've been having a hard time coming up with a story for this one; I don't want it to sound like some forgotten Animal House scene. So, ever since last week, I've been thinking and thinking about what to write for this week's topic.

Now I know that in past weeks, I've said that one Memory Lane Friday topic or another was a "hard" topic to write about. That was because I probably had a bunch of great anecdotes per topic, and had trouble choosing just one or two.

But this one is seriously hard to think of a story, because I want it to be a more family-friendly tale, and less like my recollections of somewhat embarrassing college high jinx. 

So the one thing that came to mind was something my family's au pair, Minna, and I did together.

This must've been in the early '80s, when Minna, from Helsinki, Finland, was living at our house as our au pair.

Minna was a lot of fun to be around. She'd take me to my riding lessons, sometimes taking lessons herself. She and I would go around doing stuff, sometimes with my siblings, sometimes with just me.

Anyway, I remember wanting to see the movie Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy, which came out in 1984. That means I was almost 14 years old. And it's an R-rated movie. So I definitely wasn't going to get into that movie by myself, right?

But Minna was old enough (having been college-aged at the time), and somehow my mom agreed to let Minna take me to see that movie. It was a comedy movie, not just pure action, so maybe that's why she said yes. But she said yes, and I was excited to go see an R-rated movie with Minna, especially this one. For some reason it seemed like a really funny movie, which is why I think I must've wanted to go see it. That and actually having permission to see an R-RATED MOVIE!!

So we headed to the movie theater, which was just a few minutes' drive from the house. We got to the counter and she asked for two tickets for the movie. Well, since it was R, and since I wasn't with a parent or guardian, they wouldn't sell her the tickets, since one was for me.

I suppose they knew she wasn't my mom, because she's blonde and very Finnish-looking, and I'm brunette, and definitely not Finnish-looking. Plus, she probably looked just a little too young to be my mom or guardian.

Well, here we were at the movie theater, without tickets to see Beverly Hills Cop. I think there must've been another movie - a PG movie - starting at about the same time, so we went to see that one, instead, both of us a bit disappointed.

I can't tell you what that other movie was, because I just can't remember.

When we got home, my mom asked us how the movie was, and we gave her an abbreviated account of what had happened.

But another day when she and I had the opportunity to see a movie, just the two of us, Minna had one of those "light bulb over her head" moments. She decided, "We're going to see Beverly Hills Cop. I will get us both tickets for it!" 

I was surprised, but excited.

She marched herself up to the ticket booth, very I-know-what-I'm-doing,  and said in a very authoritative manner, "Two tickets for Beverly Hills Cop, please!" Without even blinking, the person behind the counter sold Minna two tickets, and into the theater we went!

I think Minna was very surprised. After a moment, we recovered from our shock and started laughing. She couldn't believe she'd actually gotten a ticket for both of us, and figured it must've been her no-nonsense attitude when she walked up to the ticket counter, like she just knew what she was doing.

It was a funny memory, and we would occasionally laugh about her sudden super-bossy attitude at the ticket counter that night!

Anyway, here's a photo of Minna when she got married in 1990.

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Check back next Friday, when the topic will be: Pictures Tell a Story.