The not so Dark Knight

So, the new Batman movie came out last Friday which prompted many Batman discussions with friends and family. Batman seems to be a phenomenon that brings out obsession in some... especially young boys. Yes, Joey was our obsessed little Bat Man. For quite a few years, Batman costumes were regular every day attire. Sometimes it was as simple as a t-shirt with cape attached. Sometimes Joey's outfits included full on chest plates and bat ears. Costumes ranged from cloth to plastic to rubber. I wish I had more pictures... I am surprised I don't have more because this was not a short-lived obsession. Some days the costume went from head to toe, other days the outfit was minimized for comfort and fast running. The first time my friend Dana visited our house on 31st Drive (maybe 12 years ago?), we were chatting at the dining table and Joey, dressed in Batman underwear, t-shirt with cape attached and bat ears, was making his bat circle--running like the wind around the living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway--over and over and over again. At first Dana was taken aback, then amused, then she took it in stride like everyone else. This was not an attention getting activity for Joey... it was training, and it was daily. So, years have passed and although he does have a pair of Batman pajama bottoms, the costumes and bat caves, bat mobiles, bat planes and bat men figurines are all gone, but the old Batman cartoon VHS videos remain and every new Batman movie prompts a Batman video marathon and some fond memories.