Turning 19 in Moncton

In another episode of Flashback, I take you back to December 11th, 1992. This was the day I turned 19 years of age. It was, to say the least, an interesting evening. Read on for more details.

19 years of age. It is a time here in Canada where young people are legally allowed to consume alcohol and enter alcoholic serving places like bars and taverns, without the need of a fake ID. They can enter and enjoy them without worry. Most people, when they turn 19, celebrate by going out and getting drunk or partying at some bar. For myself, since I don?t drink, turning 19 turned into something far more entertaining, and weird.

Back in those days, I was pretty out there. Known quite well for my outrageous antics among my friends, I was always a source of interesting entertainment. I was quite well known for walking around the streets of Moncton, the malls, stores, and pretty much anywhere in town, in my great big brown moose slippers. I think the slippers were more of a legend than I ever was. I basically didn?t care what anyone thought of me and did anything I was dared to (within reason). I?ve mellowed in my years but I still have my moments.

On the night of December 11th, I was actually in Saint John as I was attending school, but I postponed the celebration of my birthday until that weekend. That weekend saw me wander around the city, making people wonder if I was in fact, insane.

Even at 19, I still didn?t have my driver?s license, and my friend Eric had his car so we were driving around town. At some point, for whatever reason, I decided to put my moose slippers on, along with my shiny white bathrobe, and we?d drive around like such. We got some interesting stares and gawks from people around but somehow it didn?t seem enough.

We stopped at my friend Shane?s place who then proceeded to put this horrid black wig on my head. It was basically hair everywhere. Take Don King with an Afro on a bad hair day, and that was me. We got back into the car, and Eric decided he wanted coffee from Tim?s. I wanted a Coke so away we went.

I entered Tim Horton?s, dressed with the robe, slippers, and wig, and then proceeded to laugh so hard, I could barely get the door of the coffee shop open.

I got to the counter, ordered something, and the poor woman at the counter couldn?t keep a straight face. She actually turned her head as she took my order so she wouldn?t have to see me as she laughed her ass off. Me and Eric then continued laughing while other people were staring, pointing, snickering, and other sorts of noises. Some dick decided he would be funny called me a fag. Whatever. I didn?t care. He was obviously jealous of the fact that I had bigger balls than he ever would.

We then drove around the city some more and at some point, maybe even before Tim?s, we had picked up my friend Cheez and he ended up wearing the robe into another Tim?s. We didn?t get quite the same reaction but it was still pretty close. Funny stuff.

For years since, I have still kept the slippers and still do occasionally go out with them on. I can honestly say that I wore them to The Late Show with David Letterman but was in fact too chicken to put them on during his monologue. I got them on about halfway through the show but he never noticed. I should have put them on early. But alas, that was then.

I?m still known for the slippers but I think that Tim Horton?s incident is likely the most famous of my excursions with them. It?s weird. If I went out now with my robe, slippers, and wig, they?d likely lock me up on the J-Ward of the hospital. Amazing what the youth can get away with eh?