Davy's Finally Free

Right now: listening to "I Wanna be Free" at school and crying. Remembering happy Davy, slapsticky Davy, tap dancing-shuffling Davy. Remembering afternoons and evenings watching the Monkees on Nick and how they molded my youth. Beatles, you came later, but the Monkees were there first: maybe a little bit more kid friendly? When other kids were listening to New Edition and Tiffany, I was listening to the Monkees. Thank you, Davy, for introducing me to British accents (maybe you're the reason I still love them so), true fanatic fandom (I tried to steal my aunts' copies of your vintage albums when 7), sappy fan letters (yes, I did ask for a lock of your hair, because I heard that's what you're supposed to do in fan letters), and an endless crush that even still tickles me today when I watch my Monkees on DVD.