Detailing over 30 years of audio and video obsession
The Scorpio Diaries
For many years starting in 1985, Michael T. Foy recorded the life experiences of any kid growing up. Giving the journal a name – Scorpio – Mike found it quite easy to treat “Scorpio” as a friend, a destination, a vault for his secrets. Or, a vault filled mostly with comments about girls he liked.
For the first time ever, journey along with Mike and his most private thoughts and experiences. Chronicling the years of “The MIDA Tapes,” Mike’s preteen and teen era, there’s many an embarrassing moment to be unearthed.
Playback Shack Home Movies | Prom and Ryan Guard Competition | PlaybackShack.com
Aug 9th
About six or seven years ago, I dug through some old VHS tapes and discovered lots of videos featuring my high school friends and my ex-girlfriend Jenn. As I watched the videos, of my buddies George and Marc with me at Jenn’s indoor guard competition, and me and my family with Jenn and her family at her house for the prom, I was suddenly inspired to splice lots of the scenes together and put it all to music. So, I once stayed up all night long to put this segment together out of pure inspiration and respect for my younger years.
This was part of what was then a larger project, a documentary-style compilation of my friends and I during those years. That’s why this video starts off with “a year and a half later.” I’ve picked up the video right where “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger kicks in. Totally beautiful.
Some of the folks in this video aren’t with us anymore. Many of the younger folks have families and children of their own now. I do not at all dwell in the past, but it sure is nice to check in on it now and again, to remember, and learn from it all.
Tues., July something, 1985
Jul 23rd
I’ve been out of school since June 14. Now I have a summer job (volunteer though) as a counselor for St. Clement’s summer camp. Today, we went to the Zoo, and if it wasn’t Maria Feeley driving me crazy, it was a “new” girl that did, Nancy Matthison. So, here goes my new list:
1. Lauren Chicklo
2. Nancy Matthison
3. Stacey Sweeney
4. Maria Feeley
Note from present day Mike: St. Clement’s summer camp was based right out of Finnegan’s playground in Southwest Philly. As you can see below, for some reason, Nancy Matthison’s actual handwritten name tag was preserved and affixed to this actual journal entry! I’ve apparently held on to it since that day in July, 1985… 25 years ago.
Nancy's Name Tag
Ya think she might need it back?
Friday, May 17, 1985
Jul 22nd
Well, I didn’t get a medal or ribbon Friday, but Saturday, I won silver in the 440 relay with John Rechner, Faze, and EGGY. We had off today and yesterday. Boy, that song “Get Into The Groove” by Madonna sure gets me worked up about Lauren. I don’t think I’m going to get The Hulkster now because I’m in trouble. So, to keep my self occu-pied, here’s a grafitti page.
"Grafitti page" from May 17th, 1985 entry
Note from present day Mike: John Rechner, “Faze” (Michael Ferry) and “EGGY” (Daniel Inemer) were all friends, classmates, and track teammates of mine from St. Clement’s. I would have been in the 7th grade when this was written. Back then, I was skinny and one of the tallest kids in my class. Although I was okay at it, I secretly hated running. I hated being out of breath. It always felt like my lungs were collapsing. How is that enjoyable? The obsession about this Lauren chick, who’d I’d apparently met just once, clears up a lot about how my love life was lived for many years after. Always falling in love, always believing in connections and love at first sight, and always thinking about the opposite sex. Of course, I’m also rambling on here about not being able to get “The Hulkster,” which I think was a WWF Hulk Hogan bendie toy from LJN if I’m not mistaken. Surprised that I was still playing with toys in 7th grade? Oh, I’m pretty sure I had toys until I was 14 or 15. It’s just what us creative, nerdy, visual types do.
