Recently, I had a funny conversation with a few of my co-workers whom I've dubbed "the kids". Reason being, they are 23, oh wait, one is 24, and he always reminds me of that.
For goodness sakes, they were born in the 80s, and that blows my mind.
But that aside, the kids were having a conversation with me (32) and another co-worker (late 30s).
First topic-- winning the lotto.
One of the kids said if he won, he'd come right back to work the next day. Both myself and the late 30s co-worker laughed. Late 30s coworker then said, "Yeah, let's see you in ten years..." and I added, "and a few kids" ... "and THEN we'll see if that still stands."
Second topic--weddings
The kids were upset because a mutual friend of theirs just got engaged. They've only been dating for several months and the wedding is actively being planned for sometime this year. This has the kids very upset. They don't think that it's going to last. I have to say, I tend to agree with them. Then me and late 30s guy explained that in your 20s you go through a lot of changes. I know what I wanted at 21, 24, and 27-28 were all very different from each other. I went from wanting to settle down with my boyfriend to wanting to be single and NEVER Married to engaged by the end of the decade.
It was a roller coaster of a ride and I think I learned most about who I was and life in my 20s. When you get your first real job, first real apartment and see first hand how you can't be carefree forever, it really shapes you up for who you become in your 30s.
Later that night, I went to my third Billy Joel concert and there were more kids in front of me, only these kids looked to be in their late teens. I laughed at them as they tried to sing all the words to "we didn't start the fire" and it ocurred to me, that when Billy ends that song somewhere in the late 80s (the lyrics say "Wheel of Fortune", Sally Ride, heavy metal, suicide, Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz,
Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law,
Rock and Roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore!) ...It dawned on me that as I became of age in the late 80s early 90s these words mean something to me......to them it's just a song they struggle to remember the words to.
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