Mighty Morphin Power Rangers !

“Tyler, Tyler come here for a second I want to show you something I watched a lot while I was in the Army”.  I didn’t think much of what he was going to show me. It probably was something I already saw him watching in passing and immediately chalked out to be uninteresting, but as I entered the living room and as it started to play I was mesmerized then and still am now. Years and years later, far from that initial memory in 2012. He pressed play and the whole house shook from the 90s upbeat rock that came from the opening theme song from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episode. An eerie voice yelped ““ahh, after 10,000 years I’m free, it’s time to conquer Earth”  as the manhole cover was hastily removed and a flash of light took over the screen. A red and silver robot frantically scrambles as a white silhouetted face in a tube of blue goo instructs  him to find “Recruit a team of teenagers with attitude”  to combat the return of Rita’s, the same yelping voice, evil intentions. He quickly finds his team of teenagers of attitude and in a flash they are shown in their colored spandex uniforms and our great hope to fight against her. Flashes of red, yellow,black, pink, and blue bright lights as each ranger was introduced. Amazement flew across my face as my Dad told me about each and what I should expect. “ That’s Zach , yeah he breaks dances and fights at the same time. And he be kicking butt with it too” Woah, woah Dad you’re telling me that this guy fights by break dancing, What!” “I’m telling you son you just gotta watch”. Gigantic mechanical prehistoric animals sprawled the screen and combined into a giant metal robot ready to topple anything put in front of it. 

As a young kid I just took in the epicness of it. Seeing these larger than life heroes briefly fight in a flashy montage before really getting into life lessons from each episode. I always saw it as a significant spectacle that I shared with my Father. The spectacle of this theme song wasn’t just the combination of action and the catchy tune. It was the connection from it that my Father and I developed. I always knew from early on that me and my Dad don’t have the best relationship. The silence early on is what I remembered most the time when me and my Dad we’re together.

I don’t know what caused it or why it became a thought I had acknowledged from an early age, but when that upbeat tune played that thought washed away. The silence was filled with excitement and a blast of the epic tune. We talked about anything and everything when it played. No matter what we were talking about before, or how old I was. From high school tests, to college choices, to future careers whenever that catchy beat plays I go back to that memory of being called into the living room not knowing what would play, and how much it still means for me and my Dad’s relationship.