Teenage Fumes
- Charlie Brown
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 7
Many people look back on their teenage years as being some of their best years. I was doing pretty well, till I hit hit the 'Fumes Era' -- GAS fumes and PER-fumes -- which altered my life goals. Dramatically!
Every teenage guy's goal in those days was to 'be cool' which paved the way for chasing 'fumes'.
Sadly, 'cool' usually required a job paying more than 50-cents an hour as a curb-hop hustling hamburgers and hot dogs out to customer's in their old cars.
In those days, most of us battled acne, keeping the latest acne cream medications in business. None of us could understand why they couldn't make those creams without those obnoxious odors.
I did the best I could with what I had -- driving around in my dad's nine-year old Chevy, proudly featuring a chrome Swan hood ornament. If I could have afforded fancy mud-flaps, I'd have added them . . . . you know, to look 'cooler'. The AM radio in my dad's car had only 3 stations, and one of them only played static, so trying to impress everyone as I rode through town with my windows rolled down and the radio cranked up, didn't really work.
Now there were advantages to those good old days. Gas prices averaged .25 to .50-cents a gallon. When you are making only 50-cents an hour, that seemed high!
The cars back then all had 'bench seats' without seatbelts. The best thing about Bench Seats, was when you took a hard enough turn, your girlfriend would slide over right next to you! However it was difficult to shift into second gear with your arm around her -- and even more impossible to navigate the road trying to see around the the pink velvet dice hanging from the rearview mirror.
In those teenage days most of us were guided more by our current desires . . . Perfumes and Gas Fumes . . . . than our values!
Don't let your immediate desires stand in the way of your values. Desires are specific things you want or long for, often driven by emotions or needs. A good-looking girl or fast car back then were based on FUMES . . . .They never lasted long! As I look back I must admit my desires didn't line up with my values today.
Genuine values are the principles, beliefs, and ideals that are important to you and that guide your behavior and decision-making, such as  honesty, integrity and kindness toward others.
Remember the good ol' days with fondness -- as I do.
But never regret that your life took a solid turn toward your values, leaving the FUMES Â to evaporate.
