Ahh, beautiful, vibrant, bustling Wauwatosa. Though growing up you may have wanted out, looking back on your Tosa childhood will undoubtedly bring back pleasant memories of Village outings, sunshiny block parties, and grilling out in your shoebox-sized backyard. And to help facilitate your nostalgic reminiscing, I decided to write this piece. Here are 15 signs that you are a Tosa kid, born 'n raised.
1. Every out-of-towner has trouble pronouncing your hometown, so you just tell them that you're from Milwaukee.
It's a lot easier. Let's be real.
2. You cannot go to the grocery store without seeing at least three people you know.
It's 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Mom asks you to run to the store to grab her some coffee creamer. You think, "Maybe I can get in and out of there real quick, and no one will see me in my pajamas." You foolishly decide to make that gamble. Five minutes later, you're having a conversation with three Tosa moms in the bread aisle of Sendik's.
3. You call it "Tosa."
"Wauwatosa" sometimes just doesn't flow off the tongue. Plus it's a really long word. Ain't nobody got time for that.
4. And even though you love Yo Mama's, you miss Drew's Variety Store.
I'm not sure if there is another store in the area that sells betta fish, knitting supplies, and Christmas lights all under the same roof.
5. You spent your Friday and Saturday nights getting wild at the McKinley playground...
Okay, really, you just sat on the slide.
6. ...or hanging out in the Tosa Village.
Yo Mama's or Baskin-Robbins? Noodles and Company. Starbucks. George Webb. Tosa Fest. Hart Park. The train tracks. The Menomonee River Parkway bike trails. The list of locations for teenage socializing in the Village truly goes on and on.
7. You could't go to Mayfair Mall after 3 p.m. on the weekends.
Unless you were 18 or older with proof of identification, or you were accompanied by a parent or guardian. Gotta love PGR.
8. You got excited when Hoyt Pool finally reopened.
And your parents got excited when they announced that there would be a beer garden there.
9. Your parents are probably at Club Tap or Leff's Lucky Town as we speak.
Did you just check? I was correct, wasn't I?
10. You may be familiar with Tosa Trio and a certain Barb character.
Ahh Mass with Class, Tosa Trio Summer Outreach, Youth Committee...good times.
11. You frequented Pius dances. And if you were a cool kid, you definitely went to Nightstorm.
Unless your parents were like mine and wouldn't allow you to participate in such rowdy festivities.
12. You can tell that your grade school friends will be your lifelong pals.
You'll be going to Leff's with them in a few years, no doubt. This is the stuff that happens when you live within a 10-mile radius of all of your closest elementary school buddies.
13. You were likely a part of the Tosa East vs. Tosa West vs. MUHS vs. DSHA vs. Pius rivalries.
Athletic competition included, we definitely were rivals on a semi-personal level. If you went to one of these schools, you are aware of the not-so-pleasant opinions that you or your classmates may have expressed about the other high schools in the area. All this aside, you realize that our collection of local high schools is one of the very best in Southeastern Wisconsin.
14. It is a bubbler. It will always be a bubbler.
...and if you fight us on that we will become hostile.
15. You were the lucky kids who had Summerfest, the zoo, the Wisconsin State Fair, Miller Park, and so many other iconic Wisconsin locations right in your backyard.
How lucky are you that you get to enjoy a small-town vibe in a big suburb that gives you access to all of Milwaukee's treasures! The only thing we are missing is La-la-la-Lambeau, but the green and gold fever is a plague in these parts as well.
Wauwatosa is my stomping ground, my hood, my home, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Don't be surprised if, in 20 years, you find me in the bread aisle at Sendik's...this time as one of those Tosa moms.
