The spectrum of my interests is pretty wide. One of them is professional wrestling. No, not “sports entertainment” as WWE head honcho Vince McMahon would like us all to call it, pro wrestling dammit! Now many of you are ready to hit the eject button, but bear with me here.

I’m not here to convince everyone that pro wrestling is worth a shot. But I am here to give props where they are due. For WWE’s flagship show Monday Night Raw, or just Raw as it’s now called, has been airing weekly for the last 25 years. That’s a huge accomplishment in today’s instant gratification society. It debuted on January 11, 1993 and I’ve watched a great majority of the 1,287 episodes that have aired.

Think about that time span and what has happened. That 25 years can span the course of a lifetime, unfortunately. It can also provide a monumental shift in societal norms, as well as  one’s own life. Let’s take a look Tale of the Tape style:

As you can tell from the table above, a LOT can change in 25 years. Vince McMahon has managed to keep his product fresh the entire time. Going from cartoonish characters (gimmicks as they’re called in the business), to a more reality-based product, WWE has gone from a privately owned company to a publically-traded global conglomerate. He’s effectively, but not completely, eliminated the competition stateside (New Japan Pro Wrestling, or NJPW, is their WWE and is making waves internationally, as well as trying to breach the shores here in America). He’s managed to keep storylines going, as well as work through the setbacks. No matter the tragedy (post-9/11 show as a prime example) or triumphs, he’s managed to keep his product fresh. Perhaps most impressive is his ability to keep his hands on the pulse of literally everything WWE.

I’ve grown a great bit over 25 years, not just physically, but also personally. There have been some major ups and downs over the years. The one thing that was always a constant escape was Monday Night Raw. I could count on WWE giving me that two or three hour getaway from whatever was going on. After my brother was killed, grandmothers’ deaths, losing scholarship to Tulane, finding out I’m going to be a father (twice), graduating from college, moving to Texas, you name it. Raw was the blanket to my Linus.

I’m interested in hearing from you guys. What was your blanket? What gave you comfort in your hard times and helped you celebrate your good times? Get at me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. I want to be a man of the people and interact with you guys as much as possible.