Life is funny as I’ve said many times and one of those times was this weekend when I was checking out what #Holiudays would be celebrated this week. I came upon October 5th which is National Get Funky Day and like a lot of times when I’m online this took me down the Rabbit Hole again.
My mind immediately went somewhere completely different from where the holiday actually began. I went straight back to the 1970s. Even though I was born in the 60’s and that made me a child when this was happening. I thought about Sonny and Cher and not being allowed to watch it, bell-bottoms my friends wore, long hair like Shawn Cassidy had, groovy music, funky clothes, flowers, boomboxes, and hippie vans. And yes, I still think it would be fun to own a hippie van someday!
I was born in 1964, so I was a little girl for most of the 1970s and just becoming a teenager toward the end of the decade. I wasn’t out there living the disco life, but I certainly remember growing up surrounded by the sights and sounds of the era.
I remember the colorful clothing, Western button-down shirts, and those wonderful pearl-snap shirts. And then there was the word “groovy.” Just hearing that word can take me right back to the 70’s. One of my favorite memories from that time is actually one that makes me laugh now.
I remember Sonny and Cher coming on television. And when Cher appeared in one of those outfits that my parents considered far too revealing for their young daughter to see, well… Oh, Lord! I was sent to my bedroom. Just like Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days.
Looking back, it is funny to think about. But that was part of growing up in my family. There were things my parents simply decided I wasn’t old enough to watch, and Cher’s wardrobe could apparently land me in the bedroom pretty quickly!
What I Remember About That Funky Era: When I think about the word “funky,” I think about:
Bell-bottom pants
Long hair
Flower-power patterns
Groovy music
Boomboxes
Colorful clothes
Western pearl-snap shirts
Funky television shows and performers
Hippie vans
And a whole lot of personality
Maybe it wasn’t all technically from the same year or even the same part of the decade. But when you’re remembering childhood, you don’t always organize memories by calendar year. You remember how things felt. But National Get Funky Day Actually Means Something Else
Here’s the funny part. When I actually looked up National Get Funky Day, I discovered that the holiday wasn’t created as a celebration of bell-bottoms and the 1970s at all. National Get Funky Day was created to encourage people to get out of a funk, have some fun, dance, laugh, try something different, and spread a little positivity.
And you know what? I think that’s pretty great, too. Maybe We Can Celebrate It Both Ways Sometimes a holiday can mean two different things to two different people. For me, seeing “National Get Funky Day” immediately brought back memories of growing up in the 1970s. It made me think about Sonny and Cher, bell-bottoms, long hair, groovy music, and all those things that made that era look and feel so different from today.
But we can also celebrate the day the way it was actually intended: by finding a way to get out of a funk. Maybe that means turning up some music and dancing in the kitchen. Maybe it means getting together with your family and doing something silly. Maybe it means wearing something completely different from what you normally wear. Maybe it means watching an old television show, listening to music from another generation, or simply doing something that makes you smile.
And if you’re homeschooling, this could become a fun little teaching moment, too. Talk about what the word “funky” meant to different generations. Look at 1970s fashion and music. Talk about how words can change meaning depending on the time period and the person using them.
So, How Are You Going to Get Funky? For me, I think I’ll take a little trip down memory lane first. I’ll think about the 1970s. I’ll remember the bell-bottoms my friends wore, the long hair, the funky clothes, the boomboxes, the word “groovy,” and yes, even getting sent to my bedroom when Sonny and Cher came on television.
Then I’ll remember the other meaning of the day. Sometimes we all need to get out of a funk, turn on some music, laugh a little, and do something fun. So whether National Get Funky Day makes you think of the 1970s or simply reminds you that today is a good day to shake off a bad mood, I hope you find something that makes you smile. And if you happen to find me driving around in a hippie van someday, you’ll know exactly why. 😊
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed,
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
