Goin' Blind

The first time I ever set my eyes on a rock and roll band named KISS, I actually knew nothing about music. At the time, I was a cartoon watching, comic book reading, 1st grader, which in reality had plenty to do with the rock and roll band named KISS.
There was a girl in my first grade class whose family didn’t really have a lot of money and she continually brought her lunch to school in a ratty, grease soaked lunch sack, obviously using the same one day after day. My teacher, seeing a student in need, decided to help, and purchased the young lady a metal lunch pail.
It was the KISS lunchbox. Bare in mind, the year was 1981 so the demand for a KISS lunchbox was more than likely at an all time low, and the bargain bins were no doubt overflowing.
The next day during recess the young lady propped her lunchbox against the brick retaining wall outside of our first grade class, like all of the other students, and walked off to play kickball with the others.
Silently, lurking in the distance, I stood…heavily eyeballing the new lunchbox that had just arrived in Mrs. Harmsen's first grade class.
I slowly walked over and picked her lunch pail off of the ground, holding it inches form my face. My stare was as cold as a winter’s day. I could not keep my eyes off of the picture.
Who were these guys? What are they all about?
They had every incarnation of my own personal heroes, “The Justice League of America”, only these guys were evil, and much more sinister.
Their silver armor glimmered off of their bodies in spectacular glory. Their personas seemed to leap off of the metal top, crashing into my psyche with thunderous power.
I quietly opened the container to get a look at the thermos when suddenly; it was snatched from my hands.
It was the owner and my days of holding the KISS lunchbox were over, sadly forever. (This is one item, I have still yet to call my own).
She yelled at me for a few minutes (she was a little rough for wear) and told me to keep my hands off of her ‘personal property’. I was a shy, cowardly kid, so I did what I was told and walked away with my tail between my legs. Looking back, she more than likely thought I was going to make fun of her for owning a lunchbox that the teacher had to purchase, but in all actuality all I wanted to know was who these four men named KISS were…and find out, what drew me to them, in such a profound way.