Take a moment and imagine if you could go back in time to a specific year for one day. What would you do? Who would you see? How would you live during that one day? I would like to think that we would all seize that day! I would go back to Christmas Eve, 1991 and spend some time with my sister at KB Toys again! I was 8 years old, and will never forget the feelings of nostalgia when I saw 2 video game kiosks. One contained the newly released Super Nintendo Entertainment System with Super Mario World. The other contained the newly released Sega Genesis with Sonic The Hedgehog! Pure nostalgia! The 1990’s was an incredible decade!
I started to think about a conversation I had recently with a co-worker. She was born in 1996 and had questions about the 90’s culture because of course, she was a baby in the 90’s. I told her how long a decade seemed to take back then, and how the year of 2020 felt like an entire decade in one year due to the number of major events we had. We all know what happened in 2020, so I will spare the details. I began to think about how much the human race went through last year! It is no wonder that mental health issues have skyrocketed since the start of 2020!
My co-worker had been struggling with anxiety and other issues. I struggle with the same and told her that I have learned to give myself permission to do certain things for my sanity. I give myself permission to go back in the past in my mind. I give myself permission to enjoy a cheat meal sometimes. I give myself permission to feel emotions, even sadness. I give myself permission to be silly at times, to dance crazy, to sing loud, and to live in the moment. I gave myself permission to become a Christian music artist, better known as “YOUR Neighborhood Hope Dealer!”
My question to my audience is this: When was the last time you gave yourself permission? Permission to do the things you like to do? Permission to live for today, not tomorrow or yesterday? Remember, we have lived a decade in a year with the number of events that happened in 2020. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you struggle with anxiety like I do, take time out to watch 90’s sitcoms, 80’s rock videos, or 70’s movies. Sometimes I watch videos on YouTube of the “Roaring 20’s”. Yes I am talking about the 1920’s and how they lived back then! Whatever makes you happy, take time out to invest in your mental health. Life can’t be serious ALL of the time! We have all been through a lot, and we are all in this together! I hope this short post encourages you to give yourself permission.
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Join your neighborhood hope dealer this coming Tuesday, 01/26 on Facebook Live for an open and honest dialogue on what’s on the flyer! If you can’t stay on the full hour no worries, just plug in for 5-10 minutes or however long you can! 🙂 Bring your questions and your prayer requests! Who knows, I may even perform a verse live or something, lol. 😉 See y’all on Tuesday evening! -YOUR Neighborhood Hope Dealer!
Greetings friends and fellow bloggers, it’s me C.P. The Vintage Retroman, YOUR Neighborhood HOPE Dealer! It’s so hard to believe that it has been 4 whole years since I started my blog, http://www.vintageretroman.com on 01/15/2017! I started this mission with a vision: To bring the cultures of the past to the present, to spread hope and encouragement, and to educate and entertain through writings, poetry and songs. I am happy to report that despite the challenges of life, God has sustained me to still be here in 2021!
Recently, I have been thinking alot about the future. My children are now 17, 14, 11, and 9 years old, so much of my time has been invested in making sure they have everything that they need. With the current turmoil going on in the United States, I am hoping for a better future for my children. With that being said, this past year with COVID-19 we have connected on a level that we have never been on.
My family, New Year’s Day 2021
During the time I was working from home, I introduced them to a lot of classic music from the 70’s and 80’s, and I started making my own music and using samples from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. All of my music is on my YouTube channel, free of charge! (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCllZ2c5bmKo_qwoHbzLguJQ) I believe that my kids have gained a greater appreciation for the cultures of the past. I know I have. Sometimes it is an escape from what we have to deal with.
My wife blessed me with a Nintendo Switch for Christmas 2020. It’s funny, because I have found myself playing more of the older NES and SNES games in comparison to the newer games. It’s something about the way they make me feel. They take me back to a simpler time in life. A time before hardship, before responsibility. A time when I didn’t have to be a serious teacher of youth called my children. A time when my biggest fear was if I would get picked on by girls for my haircut, or my parents buying the wrong video game because it was cheaper in price!
One big change this past year was the birth of my nickname, “YOUR Neighborhood Hope Dealer!” I got this name from the Friday night Christian Hip-Hop parties I was hosting on Facebook live from April 2020- August 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer. I started thinking, “People need hope like fiends need dope”, so I ran with it! It has really caught on well! My audiences on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube love it! I love music of all types, so I am glad that God blessed me with a gift to help people with it!
I will end this blog post with some original lyrics from one of my songs, entitled “Some Real Talk” ft. my oldest daughter Zaria, aka Z Bank. 🙂
“Cause’ Hindsight’s 2020/ I’ve got the Spirit of God that’s flowing right through me/ I know my worth when the enemy is lurking/ I push up, hands in the air, so they call me burpee!/ and surely, by now yes you know what I’m all about/ Your Neighborhood Hope dealer coming out the south/ A hybrid of hip-hop, the old with the novel/ A fusion of the past and present, call me time travel!”
If you would like to listen to “Some Real Talk!” ft Z. Bank, here is the link: https://youtu.be/QrcKJeoMLRA God bless you all in 2021! 🙂
Original Christian Hip-Hop by me and my daughter, 2020
Have you ever felt like you don’t measure up? Check out my new song “A Feeble Attempt”. I hope this new song touches the people. -Your Neighborhood Hope Dealer
The smoke cleared, the dust settled. A triumphant Link mounted Epona his horse, with the battle-tested Master Sword now resting in his sheath. It was a hard fought war in the land of Hyrule, with the evil Gannon finally destroyed and the three Triforce fragments united. Peace had once again returned to the land. As he rode across the lush green pastures of Hyrule Field, the warrior only has one subject on his mind and that was his queen, Princess Zelda, the daughter of Hyrule Kingdom.
As he made his way to the outer courtyard of Hyrule Castle, he stopped by the market and found the largest heart container necklace he could find for his queen. The man in the market asked him, “Are you sure that is the one you want Link? It cost $500 rupees!” Link responded to the store owner, “A wise old man once told me, It’s dangerous to go alone, so I’d better take this!” Both Link and the man erupted in laughter. That store owner was actually the grandson to the old man in the cave when Link first set out to save the Hyrule Kingdom.
The storekeeper said “Alright Link, I will tell you what. If you promise to always be faithful and always do right by Zelda, I will give you a 20% future king discount. After all, once you marry Zelda you will become king of all of Hyrule Kingdom.” “DEAL!” Link shouted and pulled out $400 rupees from his wallet and paid the owner. She has to agree to marry me first though! They both laughed intently as Link walked away with the beautiful piece of jewelry.
As he mounted his horse, he heard a soft and seductive “Hello Link”. As he turned around he couldn’t believe his eyes! “Wait, are you…..Sa…Sa…Saria?” She paused for a minute to give him a chance to catch his breath. “Yes Mr. Link, it’s me, Saria your old friend from the Kokiri Forest. How have you been?” Link was speechless, he hadn’t seen her since he was young and she was all grown up now smiling at him. Flashbacks came back into his mind of the time when he was first called to leave the forest when he set out on his journey to save Hyrule.
They were best friends and grew up together in the forest. “We have got to catch up Link! I heard that you saved Hyrule, and because of that, the veil was lifted that kept us in captivity in the Forest. For the first time in my life, I was able to leave that place. You were the first person I thought about when I left Link. I am so glad I found you!” Link responded, “Wow Saria, I am glad to see you. Look at you girl, you look amazing! I can’t believe it!”
Link slipped the heart container necklace he had purchased for Zelda into his pocket and said to Saria “Wow, it’s been so long! How are things in the forest? How is your family? Is your cousin Mido still as mean as he always has been?” They both started laughing. “Oh Link, everything is just fine now, thanks to you!” Saria ran up and not only embraced Link with a heartwarming hug but threw herself onto him as they both laughed together with childlike glee. She gently caressed Link’s face with her soft hands and looked into his eyes. “Thank you for being the man you are, Link.” **It is important to note that Saria was unaware of Link’s ties with princess Zelda and oblivious to the entire situation that Link was about to enter into with her.**
At that exact moment between the town and the gate of the castle, Princess Zelda watched from a distance roughly about 15 yards away. The position of the Temple of Time blocked her from view so they could not see her. “Do my eyes deceive me?” Zelda said to herself. She looked on intently. Link was embracing Saria, who she also remembered from their childhood. Zelda mentioned in her last letter to Link (see part 2 of this series) about how she felt concerning his friendship with Saria from the forest. She ran back towards the castle weeping bitterly. Since Link had just saved Hyrule, the King gave her permission to actually leave the security of the castle and wait for him inside the gate. A homecoming of a sort, that now felt like a homewrecking party. Zelda ran past all of the palace guards, into her room and sobbed by her window.
Meanwhile, back in the town after about 30 minutes of conversation, Link had a moment of reality to sink in. He was in love with Zelda. His heart sinked, his countenance changed. “Saria, I have something to tell you.” Saria smiled innocently as she waited for Link to ask her out on a date. She happily asked, “What is it Link?” He pulls out the beautiful heart container necklace from his pocket and explained to Saria “Do you remember when we were kids you told me that you just wanted me to be happy? I have a confession to make.” “What is it Link?” she stated as she looked worried. “Saria, I am in love with Princess Zelda and I am about to propose to her. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again and…” Saria frowned and said “oh” and looked down as if she had lost her whole world. “I understand Link, thank you for being honest. I’ll be heading back to the forest now.”
“Saria wait! I never meant to hurt you!” Link exclaimed to her. “You didn’t Link, I hurt myself and because I love you, I have to do what’s right. Take care, my friend.” At that very moment, Sarah was led by her guardian ferry back to the forest. Link just stood there for a minute, shocked and still in disbelief. He cared deeply for Saria. He couldn’t believe that his desires led him away to another woman, even if it was just a conversation. Being a man, he took a moment for self-examination and then took action.
“Come on Epona! It’s time for me to go see my queen! I’m coming, Zelda!💗” As Link rode up to the castle entrance, he received nothing but cold stares and hostility from the palace guards. “Seize him!” One of the guards yelled. At that very moment, a group of the royal police officers took Link and threw him in the lower courts of the castle. Link was shocked. It was there where he was confronted by an angry and heartbroken princess Zelda.
“How DARE you betray me Link! I have waited for you through everything. I saved myself for YOU and remained a single woman! Do you have any idea how many other princes I have turned down from other kingdom’s waiting for YOU? I wrote to you when you were battle-tested and weary! What do you have to say for yourself? I’m gonna tell you right now, It will be Hell in all of Hyrule before I let you or anyone else take advantage of me! You must have forgotten who the Hell I am! I told you before I am Princess Zelda, and I am no damsel in distress! If you want one of them, you better go find that little forest tramp I saw you all hugged up with! I forget her name, but I remember her from our childhood. Now, you are allowed to address me!”
“Zelda” Link very carefully said. “Nothing happened between Saria and I in the market. It was the first time I had saw her since we were kids, and all we did was play catch up. Yes she hugged me and we embraced, but that is only because she didn’t know about us. The moment I told her that I was in love with you she backed off and went into the forest. It was my fault for letting it get that far, but I promise it is not what you think Zelda”
“You expect me to believe that sir! I’m not as dumb as you look Link! I’ll be calling the guards to escort you out and take you to Death Mountain sir. The Goron rock people can have their way with you for all I care! You don’t mess with royalty, sir. GUARDS!” As the soldiers closed in on a terrified Link and grabbed him, a voice came from the front of the room. “That won’t be necessary.”
Zelda angrily yelled, “Who are you to disobey my direct orders!” Suddenly Saria appears, escorted by the guards. Link and Zelda both looked puzzled. Zelda ties her golden locks into a ponytail and stated: “I’m about to handle this myself!” As she angrily approached Saria with clinched fists about to wail on her, Saria at the last moment pulls out a stunning heart container necklace. “Hey Link, you dropped Princess Zelda’s necklace in the market. You left the price tag on it. $400 rupees is a steep price to pay so I can tell you must really love her and don’t want to lose her.” Here you go! She gave the necklace to Link and looked into the eyes of a perplexed princess Zelda.
“Girl, Link loves you. He is in love with you. You can think what you want to think about me, but I promise nothing happened. We only caught up on old times. I know women of your caliber typically look down on girls like me, being from the forest and all. I know, you are royalty. I have heard all of the stories from people in my village. That is fine Zelda, but don’t punish Link for your insecurities. He is too good of a man for that. I’ll be headed back to the forest now. Link, do the right thing.”
“Wait!” Zelda yelled as the guards walked with Saria to escort her out. “Join us for dinner in the royal ballroom so we can talk.” Saria responded “No thanks. Not really my thing. I’m a simple girl. Goodbye” At that moment the guards escorted Saria out. Zelda was stunned at the turn of events. As she slowly turned around and looked into Link’s disappointed face with the palace guards around, she very lightly apologized to him. It was a crossroads moment for Link after all his actions were not perfect in the situation either. He realized that he needed her grace and understanding just as much as she needed his. His conscience and guardian spirit convicted him of his behavior.
“I am sorry as well Zelda. I am sorry that the container that holds your heart was for a moment split into 4 pieces. Allow me to collect them and put them together again.” At that very moment, Link pulled back out the beautiful necklace, put it around her neck, and asked Zelda, “Will you still marry a foolish, imperfect, Hyrule warrior like me?” *This type of proposal was the standard in Hylian culture.* Princess Zelda responded with a resounding “YES! Only if you can still marry an insecure, strong-willed, broken woman of power like me!” Link responded, “Nothing would make me happier my queen!”
The guards erupted in praise as they left following the newly engaged couple! They both mounted Epona and rode all around the Hyrule Castle town! The king of Hyrule ordered a decree and the Royal Guard sounded trumpets for everyone to stop working and meet in the courtyard for the engagement celebration! What a beautiful wedding that would take place in this very courtyard in a few months and the Royal Family was notified. As they celebrated, Princess Zelda whispered something in his ear and he said with a smile, “That’s a great idea, but only if you are sure………”
(Fast forward 9 months in present tense)
As Link stands in front of the Great Deku Tree, he is holding back tears as he waits for his bride to be. He cannot believe that Zelda and the King actually agreed to having a destination wedding in his home town of the Kokiri Forest, and not at the Hyrule Castle. This was a huge break in tradition and custom for the Royal Family. This meant so much to him. As he waits patiently and the wedding party is being introduced, he can’t believe his eyes! Zelda was humble enough to ask Saria to be her maid of honor! She slowly walked down the aisle, smiles at Link, and takes her place on the stage. “Congratulations, Hero. You deserve this. You have a great woman in Zelda. Like I told you many years ago, we will always be friends. Now, go get your blessing sir.”
The moment is now, Zelda is showing her dress to the forest crowd. She looks truly stunning! All of the forest people are astonished at her royal beauty. As she walks down the aisle crying, Saria is humbly playing “Zelda’s Lullaby” on her brown ocarina, the song that Link had written for Zelda back when they were kids. Link’s eyes are welled up with joy. This, my friends, is how legends are made. I know it to be true, because I, Vintage Retroman am currently at the wedding ceremony watching it all happen with tears in my own 2 eyes. They just said, “I do” and the rest is history.
The end of the 3 part series (I hope you all enjoyed it)
Wow, I’m speechless! It amazes me that despite the fact you stay so occupied from the harsh realities of battle in Hyrule, that you still make time to write me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me such a priority in your life. Your last letter was filled with so much affection, I already feel as though I am inadequate to craft a correct response, but I will try.
First and foremost, right now things are going relatively well here at Hyrule Castle. For once we feel as if some peace has been restored to the town center, thanks largely to you Link! The palace guards haven’t reported a threat of Moblin’s or those huge evil Tektite spiders in over 2 months! That is great news, considering the fact that at one time we were getting multiple reported incidents of attacks weekly. The most that we have seen recently is an Octorok or two shooting rocks outside of the palace gates, which I typically handle myself from my top window in the castle with either my bow and arrow, or your old slingshot. By the way Link, yes I still have that great aim to take them out right between the eyes, like you said in your letter. You taught me well my warrior. 😉
Anyway, my father is good! He still goes on and on about being the King of Hyrule, as if I care! He makes me laugh because he acts like such a big shot, but as soon as my mother commands anything it’s “Yes Queen, No Queen”. He is a good man though, so I don’t pester him too much. Other than that, things have been pretty boring around Central Hyrule. The king of the Goron’s did stop by last week and had a sizzling rock steak dinner with my father and they talked business. I am happy to report that our alliance with the Goron rock people are stronger than ever. We need them to help keep the Death Mountain region of Hyrule neutralized from the evil Gannon and his armies of minions. It seems as if Death Mountain is always a hotbed of resistance, no pun intended. We feel that any support we can give you in that area we will invest in, because we know the resources help you.
So in your last letter you talked about when we were kids. Of course I remember all of the times we shared together! We had so much fun at the Lon Lon Ranch and Lake Hylia! You were and still are the best fisherman I know Link! I would always get excited when you would let me try, even though I wasn’t that good at it! By the way, how is your horse Epona? I feel like she is a big part of this family. Such a splendid stallion she is! Truly a special horse you were blessed with. Please pet her a few times for me. 🙂
I think it is so funny that you mentioned your Ocarina in your letter, because I truly believe that when you first got it, you hated it when we were kids. You rarely played it at first. You said it reminded you too much of your old whistle, which played the same exact tune every time and only transported you to the entrance of dungeons, which you absolutely hated. But as you continued to practice you became better and better. I distinctly remember you playing “The Song of Time” and “The Song of Storms”, which I loved those melodies.
Then you learned my lullaby. When you perfected that song, my heart melted. It may have been that song that made me want to be more than just your friend. I started to fall in love with you Link, but I couldn’t show it. We were too young to fully understand, or so I thought. I would watch you play so intently, and I loved listening to you. It made me so happy that you found something that brought you such joy. I want to share something with you that you probably never knew. It’s hard for me to be vulnerable and open up, but here it goes.
When we were kids, I remember when you first told me about your Kokiri friend Saria from the forest. I never showed it back then because we were just friends, but I was so jealous of your friendship with her. You would talk about Saria and I would simply cringe inside Link, but outwardly I would wear a big smile because I knew that she was a nice person. The fact that you two spent so much time together in the forest bothered me, because I was royalty and she was not. In retrospect though, I am grateful for that experience, simply because it humbled me and helped me not take you for granted. Please promise me in your next letter that you two were just friends. I need to know that nothing happened. I don’t want to get my heart broken Link because I love you. I don’t want a piece of your heart, I want the entire heart container.
When I see you, I want to jump on your raft and take a ride down Zora’s river just you and I. I long to snuggle under you as you wrap your strong loving arms around me and we drift down the river under the stars. I miss our deep conversations about life, our dreams, and our goals after the conflict is over, and peace is restored to all of Hyrule. You have always been so patient with me and you listen to me, even when I am difficult to deal with. I can’t wait to look into your strong determined eyes which pierce my soul like the arrows in your quiver. I want you to gently caress my tender damp skin amidst the sweet smelling soft dew along the river bank after our raft ride. Yes link, I cannot wait for you to grab me, look into my eyes, and kiss me under the florescent moonlight. I know that it gets very difficult for you daily in battle, and when I get the opportunity I promise to help you heal every wound and make it all better sir.
I don’t want to take up too much of your time Link. I just want you to know that I miss you so much. I care about you and I love you baby. Just think Link, one day we will be the king and queen of this castle with our children running around getting into mischief. I hope and pray that if we are ever blessed with a son, that he will be half as brave as you are, with a green tunic and all! Take care of yourself my Hyrule Warrior. I attached this picture of myself just so you’ll remember exactly what you have to look forward to when you get home.;)
Until then, take care of yourself.
Love,
Zelda, Princess Of Hyrule
**Stay tuned for part 3, as this story takes an unexpected turn** Thanks for reading!
Welcome 