In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 258: Stand By Me Turns 40, Metroid For the NES, Classes No Longer Taught In School, River Phoenix(8-26-2026)

 

The 40th anniversary of Stand By Me. Also, the 40th anniversary of Nintendo's Metroid. Some classes that are no longer taught in school.

Episode 258 brings the Gen-X nostalgia in time for going back to school.

40 years ago this week, one of the seminal movies of 1980s kids' lives was released. Stand By Me was based on a Stephen King story and gave many kids of the time the desire to go hike the railroad tracks. We do a deep dive into the film, its importance, and the impact it had on kids at the time, like me.

Also 40 years ago this week, one of the most popular and influential games for the original Nintendo was released. Metroid was heavily influenced by the film Alien but in turn also blazed a trail for future games. Perhaps the perfect game for Gen-X, it taught you to go explore and find your own way. Were you able to defeat Mother Brain? Did you know the main character was female?

It's back to school time. This week's Top 5 ties in perfectly as we look at some classes that are no longer taught in school. Whether totally obsolete or extremely scaled back, these are classes that used to be part of the curriculum but have since faded away.

As always, there is a brand-new This Week in History and Time Capsule, looking back at the life and career of actor River Phoenix.

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Helpful Links from this Episode

• Buy My New Book, In Their Footsteps!
• Searching For the Lady of the Dunes True Crime Book
• Hooked By Kiwi - Etsy.com
• DJ Williams Music
• KeeKee's Cape Cod Kitchen
• MSFTS Community
• Kingfisher Hotels Cape Cod
• Christopher Setterlund.com
• Cape Cod Living - Zazzle Store
• Subscribe on YouTube!
• Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog
• CJSetterlundPhotos on Etsy
• Retro Games.cz

Listen to Episode 257 here

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #129: New England Weather, Bike Trail Radar, Suddenly Salad, etc.

1. The famous saying around here is ‘if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes.’ Last week, we had three straight days of temperatures well into the 90s with a heat index in the high 100s. It was no fun and left me looking forward to fall already. It was as if the weather gods said, ‘ok if you don’t like sweltering heat, we’ve got something different.’ To start the new week, it was the total opposite side of the weather. It was raining, and buckets of it. We went from a heat advisory to a flood watch in a matter of days. I’m not sure if I have to choose which of those types of weather I’d rather have, extreme heat or oceans of rain. My ideal weather is partly cloudy, mid-70s, and low humidity. Why some clouds? Easy, to make for a perfect sunset.


2. I finished and enjoyed all three seasons of Travelers on Netflix. It was on from 2016 to 2018. The show is about time travelers who come back to their past to try to change events to make the future a better place. After liking Dark, it was fitting that the next show I watched was another time travel show. With 34 total episodes, the show does a good job of expanding and solving all of its storylines. Even though it’s been finished for eight years, it still felt like there was room for a 4th season, but it is probably way too late for that. The travelers come back to the past by their consciousness entering the body of a living person in the present who historically dies at a certain time. That means the original person was going to die, and sort of still does, but their body remains and becomes inhabited by a totally new person. That’s a big part of the plot: the traveler trying to keep up the charade of being the person who they replaced. As usual, I am trying not to spoil much but give you enough info to entice you to check it out. Who knows what my next show choice will be? So far, I’ve liked every show I’ve chosen, so I have to keep my streak alive.

3. Perfect summer days need to be appreciated. Your definition of ‘perfect’ might vary. Mine is temperatures in the low to mid 70s, sunny to partly sunny, and low humidity. We had one such day this week, and oh boy, did I enjoy it. I finished work and headed to the local bike trail. I did some walking and a lot more running over the span of close to 3 ½ miles. It felt great to put more running miles on my legs than I have in a long time this week. I’m not saying that a return to racing is in my future, but if I can slowly increase my stamina, I won’t rule it out. Overall, my route on this perfect day was filled with sweet breezes, river views, quiet neighborhoods, and loads of other people enjoying the day. Yes, fall is my favorite season. However, when you get a perfect summer day, at least weather-wise, there are few things better.


4. Some investments are just stupid. One such investment is a radar speed detector on a bike trail. Yes, you read that right. I have seen two pairs of speed detectors so far, like you’d see on any road, located on a bike trail. I don’t know how much each one costs, but whatever it costs, it is a waste of money. Seriously, what the hell are you going to do if someone speeds? Are there cops somewhere to pull them over? It is mind-numbingly stupid. A better idea from these towns would be to put cameras up on the trails to catch the large number of motorized vehicles on the trail. I always see dirt bikes on the trail when signs are everywhere saying ‘no motorized vehicles.’ I say that, but even if someone got caught riding a dirt bike on the trail, nothing would happen. But seriously, speed detectors on a bike trail? Good lord, how dumb.

An incredible waste of money on the bike trail.

5. This week I wrote an article about a fascinating psychological phenomenon known as the ‘music reminiscence bump.’ It is how music from our adolescence registers with us more deeply than anything that comes after. It’s why we all say music was better when we were younger, no matter what our ages are now. For me, music from 1991 to 1994 falls into this category. I was aged 14 to 17. As a capper on my article, I decided to put my money where my mouth was and create a Spotify playlist featuring my favorite music from that era. It is still not finished, and already it is nearly 200 songs and over 13 hours of music. I was not shocked at just how many songs I loved and that needed to be on the playlist. I recommend everyone try it on their own. Find the year or years you feel music was best in your life, and then go craft a playlist. I am betting it will be much longer than you anticipate.


6. I’m sorry, but based on my age, I find the product Suddenly Salad to be one of the funniest names out there. Why? Little Shop of Horrors. In the 1986 version with Rick Moranis, there is a song that he sings with Ellen Greene called Suddenly Seymour. I have needed to write this down to get it out of my head because every time I see the box in the supermarket, I just want to sing the name Suddenly Salad. I can’t be the only one in their 40s who grew up watching Little Shop of Horrors to make that connection. Or maybe I am a special kind of crazy who will sing a random song because a pasta salad shortcut product by Betty Crocker has a similar name?

Cue the music

7. In an event that should surprise no one, this week I saw my first ‘back to school’ ads. Mind you, on Cape Cod, school got out less than 3 weeks ago. These greedy corporations are so geared up on squeezing every last cent out of their customers that they start promoting going back to school right after the last school year ends. I remember hating that so much as a kid. It’s like, just give us some time to enjoy summer before reminding us that it has to end and we have to go back to school. There must be a mandate with a lot of these companies, certain dates that mark when to begin promoting the next holiday or event. Before kids get back to school, you will see Halloween candy laid out. Time moves fast enough as it is without greedy bloodsucking corporations speeding it up by promoting things that are months away like they’re happening now. Oh, and by the way, it was Old Navy promoting back-to-school clothes for kids.


8. Every summer, we have throngs of tourists on Cape Cod. Most of them are fine. They come down, enjoy themselves safely and responsibly, contribute to our economy, and leave. Of course, when so many people come down, there are bound to be a small percentage of stupid people among them. That’s just life. What I don’t get is how some of these tourists seem to have no idea of how to navigate through life once they get over one of the canal bridges. For example, one-way streets. Are there no street signs where you come from? Unless you live in the most rural of small towns in the middle of nowhere, I’m figuring people have seen one-way street signs. Still there it was during a run this week, some idiot with their New York plate driving down a one-way street. Thankfully, nobody was going the other way. Like, I get the people who can’t seem to understand that dogs aren’t allowed on the beaches during the summer. There are signs, but they are smaller, and you could lie and say you didn’t see them and didn’t know. One-way streets have big signs at each end telling you to not go a certain way. So these people from New York were either totally illiterate or just smug, entitled jerks. I’ll let you decide which they were.

Yeah man that's really hard to understand

9. Something that means well but is pretty dumb is the sign that is seen in a lot of places on Cape Cod, and I’m sure everywhere. It says ‘walk left, ride right.’ Simple enough. If you’re walking or running, you stay on the left to face oncoming traffic. You ride on the opposite side. It makes sense, except for one major issue. If I am headed north on a road and running on the left side of the road, then when I am headed back south down that road, I would now be running on the right side. Left or right is all relative depending on which way you’re going. So, in reality, the well-meaning sign makes literally no sense. It should just say ‘walk wherever, ride wherever, just stay the hell out of the middle of the road.’ When I’m running on a road or bike trail, people just go wherever they want, so obviously the sign is pretty pointless.


10. There is something so soothing and refreshing about getting up early in the morning and sitting next to an open window as the summer air floods your senses. I’m not a fan of 90 degrees and humidity, but when you are sitting on a day off in a comfy chair, and it’s mid 60s with a sweet breeze trickling in all around you, it is magical. I am trying harder to take one day to fully relax and recharge. That means little to no content work. That means sitting outside and enjoying the weather (if it’s not boiling hot). After going all-out with my content work for over 5 years, it can be easy to feel burned out if not given a chance to actually recover. It was hard at first as I’d feel like there was work I could be doing and I was falling behind. Sitting in the early morning summer breeze, though, gives such a sense of peace that any sort of worry about work just falls away.



11. I am my own harshest critic. Most of the time, I feel as though I am not good enough. I believe that it goes back to my childhood when I had a neglectful biological father and an abusive stepfather. My mother did the best she could, but one ray of sunshine through the storm cannot keep you dry. Today I am chasing validation. I pursue success in creative fields on one hand because I enjoy creating things, but on the other hand, to show those who tried to snuff out my passion for life that they failed. Dreams of becoming an undeniable success in some sort of creative field kept me going through my darkest times growing up. I owe it to that younger version of myself who struggled with self-esteem and self-worth to not give up on the dreams he chased. That being said, there has never been any guarantee that success comes from chasing dreams. It’s where my criticism of myself comes in. I wonder if I should not have been stubbornly bushwhacking my way through the forest when there was a highway beside me. I chose the more difficult road long ago. It is a road where the successes could be great, but the failures could be more likely. So I keep working hard. Books, podcasts, videos, filmmaking, any sort of creative venture, I push myself to do more and more in the hope that the next thing is the thing that changes everything. I might be my own harshest critic, but I also know that I am at this point in my life for a reason. Dreams only expire when you stop pursuing them.

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #26: 90210, The Entitled Karen Show, Turkey Fighting Mailman, etc

1. Sadly this past week actress Shannen Doherty lost her battle with cancer. She was only 53. It’s especially jarring being someone who used to watch Beverly Hill 90210 with my sister Kate to see now that both Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry are gone. Both Brenda and Dylan. So sad, rest in peace.

2. Well it only took until July 14^th to see the first Back to School ad. This was for Walmart. Now I understand that some schools in other areas of the country start the year earlier, but where I live it’s the standard week after Labor Day. Making it more than 7 weeks until kids go back to school. In fact, I think most kids got out of school about 3 weeks ago meaning that they’re way less than ½ way through their summer vacation and already being reminded of going back to school. Soon companies will start their back-to-school campaigns before the current year even ends.

Coming soon to a school near you.

3. In the latest episode of the Entitled Karen show I was at 7/11 grabbing a drink on my way to work. There was a decent line for registers but nobody was using the one self-checkout register. The woman ahead of me in line shouted out to see if anyone was going to use it and when everyone said no she went up. She was in trouble when she tried to scan a 12-pack of White Claws at the self-checkout. It needed her to show an ID to someone. Naturally, she got frustrated at such inconvenience. Eventually, she groaned and yelled out that she ‘gave up’ to one of the cashiers and walked out. She left all of her stuff there like a jerk of course. I went up, scanned my drink, and handed the White Claw case to the cashier, and was done in 30 seconds.

4. It was so flattering to hear from an old friend who was working at a library. They said a woman came in looking for books on historic Cape Cod places. When my books were recommended not only had she read them all, she was a regular listener to my podcast, and wanted to be a writer herself. I’m not saying I am an inspiration to her but it’s humbling to think maybe something I’ve done in my career is driving someone else to do something in theirs.

5. At the Stop & Shop supermarket chain they charge you 10 cents for paper bags. No biggie, I have a pile of reusable bags so it doesn’t affect me. I see loads of other shoppers bringing their own recyclable bags with them as well. However this week on back-to-back days I saw 2 different people bring in a cardboard box and use that for their groceries. They literally walked around the store holding a cardboard box. It’s one part clever, one part stupid as hell. I found myself laughing and shaking my head at both of them.

6. A woman came into my work needing shockwave therapy on a sore plantar fascia and calf. The Cliff's Notes is that shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that stimulates the body’s natural healing process. It can relieve pain and promote healing of injured tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues. Anyway, she came in with this cute little puppy that adored her. Unfortunately, the shockwave therapy machine and the process are relatively loud. Rather than having the puppy watch its owner getting this treatment and possibly yelling as it can be a bit painful to start, I chose to have the puppy kept outside of the room. No need to scar a puppy for life if it can be avoided.

7. I can’t watch ‘Best Kills’ of the Friday the 13^th series before bed and then pretend to be surprised when my dream consists of me having to defeat Jason in a sort of living video game. Luckily in this dream, my 2 weapons that did the trick were shining a bright light in his face, and pushing him out the door, and locking it behind him. Why didn’t any of those teens in the movies try those?

In my dreams Jason can't use doors apparently

8. Speaking of dreams, does anyone ever have a dream about a person they hadn’t seen, or even thought of, in over 30 years? The other night I dreamed I was at a party but the host was a kid I went to elementary school with. I hadn’t thought of him or heard his name in probably 30 years, but now it’s front and center in my brain. Maybe I should find him and reach out?

9. I noticed this week that one of the Shaw’s supermarkets on Cape Cod has put up a sign banning dogs from the store since it’s a health violation. My first thought was ‘do people really need to be told not to bring pets into a grocery store?’ This was never an issue all throughout my growing up. Dogs stayed in cars or at home. Service dog? Maybe. Regular pet? You might need therapy because you’ve got some bigger issues.

No longer to be seen at Shaw's

10. I never thought a specific automobile could make my Enemies List if I had one, but it happened this week. I was driving home and while making a left turn was cut off by a gray Volkswagen Tiguan SUV. It whipped around me and was so dangerous that the car in front of me pulled over and waved those jerks to let them pass. No more than 5 minutes later I was going straight at a light when a car in the Right Turn Only lane swerved in front of me because they were too stupid to know how to read traffic signs. That vehicle was another gray VW Tiguan. That’s right 2 of the same exact vehicle cut me off within 5 minutes. Do dealerships sell those SUVs specifically to certain types of people?

11. I had a great speaking event at the Osterville Library this week talking about my book Cape Cod Nights. The library parking lot was full though thanks to an art show on the front lawn. I ended up parking on the next street over. Even though I was told I’d be fine there during my event there was a little part of my brain expecting to either have a ticket on my windshield when I went back out, or my car would have just been towed. No worries though, everything was fine.

12. In a fun bit of local celebrity meeting one of the people that came to my event in Osterville after the talk revealed himself to be the legendary mailman whose truck was attacked by turkeys on camera back in 2011. It went viral and he was a sensation for a while. So now I can say I’ve met the turkey-fighting mailman and the guy who got swallowed by the humpback whale. What a life I live.

Turkey Attacks Mail Truck