I wanted one my entire growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. I had a friend who had a single we both slept in when I stayed on weekends and it was the best.

Late 90’s in college living off campus I got my own. It was glorious.

Early 00’s I moved to a new apt and took my trusty waterbed. 2005 in an upstairs apt at 11 PM my waterbed burst. Not just a pin hole, I’d had those and used the repair kits, no big deal.

This was something else entirely. It’s been 20 years but I remember it like it was yesterday because I just didn’t know what to do. I was getting into bed and where I put my elbow to roll in just…broke. My elbow went into the water and a hole was born.

Water gushing out of a hole too big to even consider a repair I stood there holding the pieces together to keep the water from coming out for who knows how long. I finally let it go long enough to call my friend and hysterically explain what happened.

Friend and her Dad showed up with a shopvac and somehow we managed to get half of the water out the window. The other half flooded my apartment. And the downstairs apartment.

I paid for flooring, painting, ceiling tiles, not many personal items because a majority of it just trickled down the walls into her bedroom.

When it was all said and done I paid about 3k in 2005 for the damage and another $500 for a mattress I put in my waterbed frame - I couldn’t go through that hell again so I didn’t even consider a new waterbed mattress. I kept the frame and glorious mirrored headboard for another decade before finally taking her apart.

I still have the headboard and I’ve said I’m going to do something with it for years. It still has the glorious mirrors, lights, and is in great condition. It previously sat on the side boards of my waterbed frame but also connected and hung on the wall. With the right situation I think it could still be used as a headboard but I haven’t made it happen yet. It’s been sitting in a corner of my bedroom for years. I should really do something w that corner. Not today but eventually.

I miss my waterbed more than words can explain. It was the first thing I bought living on my own and it brought me a great sense of self. I knew what I was doing. I knew what I wanted. Electric bills be damned! I was grown, damnit. I wanted a waterbed and I got one. And looking back now I’d do it all over again.

Somebody should bring back real waterbeds. Not the mattress w 4 inches of water. The real ones where you actually sleep floating on water. Best sleep I’ve ever had. I blame it on being young but sometimes I wonder if the stiff mattress I’ve been sleeping on is the problem and I should go back to sleep floating on a waterbed.