If I try really hard, I can remember how it felt the very first time I saw Donnie, John, Danny, Joey and Jordan (lovely, lovely, Jordan) wave their arms in the air to show just how tough they were hanging. The New Kids on the Block may be my first experience with love. Because, man, did I love those guys. So, when I was invited a few weeks ago to view an episode of their show Rock This Boat and then ask each beautiful man a question, I dropped everything to say yes.
I’ll admit, I was a bit of an eye roller leading up to the event. Sure, I adored these guys when I was eleven, but I honestly haven’t thought much about them since throwing away my NKOTB posters years ago. While I do enjoy Blue Bloods just a bit more because of Donnie’s tough cop/tender husband character, I am not, as they call themselves, a Block Head.
Imagine my surprise then when I stood up in front of the gents to ask a question and felt my stomach head into my throat. I did mention I’m a grown ass woman, correct? Yeah, this grown woman had a full case pubescent butterflies when faced with the loves of my youth. I have a sneaking suspicion this happened for two reasons.
- These guys have aged gracefully. Let me be honest, they all look their age. Good news? They’re still older than me so looking their age is totally acceptable because they are still hotter than any other 40something dude I’ve ever seen. So, eye candy. There’s that.
- They’re charming as all get out. The most beautiful thing about these guys is how humble they were. I’m not joking. They spend four days a year with women literally throwing (like, literally) themselves at them and their number one response? Gratitude. They just kept reiterating how much they cared about giving their fans the best experience of their lives because they are just so grateful for the fans’ loyalty and, ahem, enthusiasm. They weren’t condescending or bored or even overly-enthusiastic in a staged kinda way. They were funny and kind and clearly working their asses off to make us all feel like we got what we came for. And man, did it work.
Needless to say, I’m totally hooked on the show Rock This Boat on Pop TV. Check it out for a fun bit of time travel to when life was simple and the boys were hanging tough.
P.S. Looking for more parenting guidance and tips for self-care? Check out From Chaos to Calm a guided training to help you feel better in this tough season.
