We buried an old friend of mine on September 19th and it did feel good to see the whole gang again, but I was surprised when I realized how much everyone had changed in the last 10-15 years, it's kinda a Catch 22 thing; I mean you had to have been there, anyway we were 10-12 friends who would hit downtown together on weekends, and some of them I hadn't seen since I stopped coming on Cafe Selina in '95, to my surprise all of them seemed to have become adults while I was looking the other way.

The thing is that I make my living as a freelance writer and photographer so my lifestyle haven't really changed that much since the late 80s and early 90s, but most of my friends at the funeral had been sucked into the slowmotion-doomsday of the 9-to-5 life, complete with kids and high careers, even my best friend (Who's job as a truckdriver isn't exactly 9-to-5) have somehow managed to become an adult, and almost overnight too.

And what I came up with after a heavy session of Jean Michel Jarre-meditation was that having children (Big of a change as it is) and having a steady work routine can't possibly change a person that much, is it that we didn't grow up and remember an era with a bad actor in the White House and a wall dividing Europe in East and West as the Golden Years, they did grow up and simply remember the 80s as something in their past, something to be forgotten.

The 80s for me is an era when the music was better, the movies cooler, the girls prettier (No offense ladies) and beer cheaper, back when all you needed was a six-pack of beers and gas for the moped (Usually a Yamaha 4-Gear or one of the big Puchs) to have a good time, the girls I knew wore tights, legwarmers, shirts three sizes too big and short, multi-colored skirts, and we boys loved it, partying down on the beach or up on the old city-defenses (Circa 1590) with a ghettoblaster and a stack of tapes, hanging out outside Burger King and Cinema 1-thru-8 among custom cars and friendly girls.

Up until around 1984 the coolest place to be on a friday or saturday night was the local youth club, we had a discoteque and a nice record collection in the basement, the music was usually a mix of ABBA, Boney M and the Grease soundtrack and a lot of first kisses took place on the dancefloor, we'd celebrate Skt. Hans Aften - Summer solstice - at the local mall, with a bonfire on the center square and moped dragrace on the first floor, which I'm guessing is the reason why the mall started locking all doors at night not so long after, but at least we had a really good time that night.

Am I the only one who gets this feeling of being in "Night of the Bodysnatchers" when you meet old friends, the system is a bit different than in the USA but next year is the 20-year reunion of my 9th grade class is coming up and I haven't seen anyone from the Class of '87 since we graduated, so I can understand why most of them probably have changed beyond recognition, but how can people I see at least once or twice a year have changed to a point where I hardly recognize them, I mean most of my old friends look like themselves but somehow a new, adult personality have taken over their bodies.

Am I totally off the mark here?

We buried an old friend of mine last monday, and meeting the gang at the funural made me realize just how different they were now, compared to just 10-15 years ago, that made me think and after a bit of Jean Michel Jarre-meditation I came up with this theory that I'd like to run by you:

Apparently there are two kinds of people on the Web; those of us who surf the Nostalgia Sites and those who doesn't, and most of my old friends unfortunetly belongs in the other camp, of cause most of them have been caught in the slow death of the 9-to-5 life, that I managed to evade.

Anyway; is it that my old friends have grown up and I haven't, I mean even my best friend (Who also evaded the 9-to-5 thing) have somehow managed to become an adult almost overnight, maybe it's just me but other than getting older physically I haven't changed much since the 80s and early 90s, and judging from what I've seen so far my friends have.

Am I completely off the mark here?


It all depends on what you are doing with those 9 to 5 hours(and before and after). I mean if you are depending other people to feed, clothe and shelter you then you are just a big baby. Too many people equate growing up with growing old and consider both distasteful, that is foolish.  It isn't the 9 to 5 job that defines you, it is what you do with the hours around that.

It all depends on what you are doing with those 9 to 5 hours(and before and after). I mean if you are depending other people to feed, clothe and shelter you then you are just a big baby. Too many people equate growing up with growing old and consider both distasteful, that is foolish.  It isn't the 9 to 5 job that defines you, it is what you do with the hours around that.

I agree completely with you, but most of my friends have nothing in their lives but family and career, I'm not against having kids (I'd like to have some of my own one day) or making a living, but you must make room in your life to relax with a hobby or something, you're sure to crash and burn if you don't have something besides sending the kids to school and sit at the office.

I agree completely with you, but most of my friends have nothing in their lives but family and career, I'm not against having kids (I'd like to have some of my own one day) or making a living, but you must make room in your life to relax with a hobby or something, you're sure to crash and burn if you don't have something besides sending the kids to school and sit at the office.


Absolutely. I work with people who don't take vacations, work any overtime that comes there way, and go home
to sleep. They are the ones who are growing old(not older) and their lives are just one long bore.  To them reality TV is the closest they come to life outside of work. 

Retro, you are not alone in being shell shocked over the thought of being "one of the adults".  I think I'm only 3 years years younger then you at age 30, and I noticed this starting to happen when I turned 25 a few years back.  People act more "adult"  and more like the way our parents used to.  This is likely to happen if you get married and especially if you have kids.  Since I am single and I have no kids, I think I am still something of a kid in my mindset.  I'm a responsible adult and pay my bills, but my personality is probably more in the 19-24 age range then over 25 and especially 30ish with 8 kids and a wife.  Again, my sunny laid back attitude is almost assuredly because I don't have a wife and 10 kids to take care of just yet.  Therefore I don't yet *totally* act like "a grown up".  People think I'm around 23 or 24 anyway.  I almost don't want to get married and start a family, because I know I'll start acting older.  Not acting more responsible, because I consider myself a very responsible adult, but just acting older.  

Though I realize this is just a natural part of life.  It's more apparent to single guys like us, but I bet to them they don't even notice it.  I really miss the 80s too, and I even miss that whole first half of the 90s when I was still something of a kid as well.  I can't believe people around our age are "the adults" after being kids, and the slackers, and the Gen Xer young punks up to no good for soooooooo long, but it's something that just has to happen.  I don't like it either, but running the world and being responsible takes priority over thinking about the Top 40 and latest cool fashions constantly.

But when we were kids in the 80s, I REMEMBER what I used to think of people in their 30s back then.  They were the adults.  Period.       

Retro, you are not alone in being shell shocked over the thought of being "one of the adults".  I think I'm only 3 years years younger then you at age 30, and I noticed this starting to happen when I turned 25 a few years back.  People act more "adult"  and more like the way our parents used to.  This is likely to happen if you get married and especially if you have kids.  Since I am single and I have no kids, I think I am still something of a kid in my mindset.  I'm a responsible adult and pay my bills, but my personality is probably more in the 19-24 age range then over 25 and especially 30ish with 8 kids and a wife.  Again, my sunny laid back attitude is almost assuredly because I don't have a wife and 10 kids to take care of just yet.  Therefore I don't yet *totally* act like "a grown up".  People think I'm around 23 or 24 anyway.  I almost don't want to get married and start a family, because I know I'll start acting older.  Not acting more responsible, because I consider myself a very responsible adult, but just acting older.   

Though I realize this is just a natural part of life.  It's more apparent to single guys like us, but I bet to them they don't even notice it.  I really miss the 80s too, and I even miss that whole first half of the 90s when I was still something of a kid as well.  I can't believe people around our age are "the adults" after being kids, and the slackers, and the Gen Xer young punks up to no good for soooooooo long, but it's something that just has to happen.  I don't like it either, but running the world and being responsible takes priority over thinking about the Top 40 and latest cool fashions constantly.

But when we were kids in the 80s, I REMEMBER what I used to think of people in their 30s back then.  They were the adults.  Period.       


I couldn't agree more. :)

Chris, I still tend to think of people your age as super young. Same even with a "prime" 80's teen born around 1968. So the concept that all of the 60s and 70s-born folks are becoming full-on adults is weird enough for me to internalize. Nevermind it happening to me, that's just too weird, LOL!

I firmly believe part of a reason many of us are nostalgic for the 80's, or whenever, is only partly the pop culture. It's also because we miss our former age at that time too, so we almost associate them as one. Oddly enough, I view my current age of 24 as much OLDER in some aspects NOW than I did as a kid and even a teenager.

You could attribute this to that, most of the adults I grew up with (including my parents) were fairly "cool" for their age. My main exposure to the adult world elsewhere was in movies, music and TV, so I only saw one side of the equasion.

I guess at age 10, I thought we'd all be like Pauly Shore, or the guys in Police Academy, or the dozens of rock stars once we reached our 20's and beyond. There was this whole untapped "responsibilites" side of it that I didn't see until I began to reach 20 or 21 myself.

Don't get me wrong, like yourself, I've always been pretty responsible and a good guy (I've never really been in any kind of "trouble" outside of the occasional suspension in Elementary school) but some things totally eluded me when I was younger. Growing up around 40 year old "cool" people to feeling like a 20 year old "over the hill"-er was a freakin' weird concept a few years ago. Though I'm getting more used to it now.

That might be why it weirds alot of people in their 20's and 30's out - getting pushed to the other side of the fence so quick. As a kid, I thought it would be a really slow transition.

I have grown up. I am a wife, mother to a six year old and a teacher. I have my big three: marriage, children, and career. Occasionally, I think of the time spent, but I'm just amazed I got through it all really.

Here's to the big 30 next year!

I have a job (it doesn't pay very much), no kids, pay for rent to live in apartment, and have expensive bills to pay every month (cable, phone, and internet). As for vacations, I pretty much use that time to visit my mom during Christmas.  I often wonder what the me from the past would say if he where to met the me of today.

That might be why it weirds alot of people in their 20's and 30's out - getting pushed to the other side of the fence so quick. As a kid, I thought it would be a really slow transition.


It all goes by so fast.     :(

You hear people older then you talk about this part of life when you are under 20, but you don't get it until it starts happening to you.

The really strange thing is that I'm not at all too freaked out that I'm 30.  Once you turn 30 you realize it's no big deal, and that it's helluva lot better then being 60 or 70.  From the 17 year old youth culture perspective 30 is old and grown up, but then you get there and realize from the perspective of life in general, 30 is very young.   Turning 25 and going into your late 20s and realizing you are approaching 30 is far, far worse then actually being 30.  The only thing is that I'd say about 70% of the people my age are married with kids, divorced, or engaged to be married.  I feel the pressure to settle down and be more "grown up", and people ask me all the time when I'll do it.  It's like they know I'm still trying to hold onto my youth, not wanting to have the wife and kids yet. 

Marty, I agree our longing for the 80s is mainly because of the age we were back then and how carefree it was for us.  I'll always miss the 80s, and you know what, basically most of the 90s too.

Retro--What JMJ were you listening to?

It's funny, I was driving home late this evening, and it crossed my mind a lot of people in my generation are not "grown-ups," they're "thrown-ups."
:D
Bear with me here.  I saw the phenomenon starting with my age group of my peers not wanting to act older than their ages.  It seems like people in their mid-30s and younger wanted to stay kids forever.  I mean, they just got bigger and hairier.  Since they were forced into adult responsibilities anyway, I decided they were "thrown-ups."  They were thrown up into adulthood whilst retaining their child-like minds!
I'm one too, but differently from my peers.  I grew much more emotionally, psychologically, and philosophically mature than my peers by my middle 30s, but I was in nowheresville as far as career, property-ownership, marriage, and family-raising.  Well, the last two things I did not truly desire.  What happened to me financially and career-wise was a result of a lifelong struggle with severe depression from childhood on, and pathological diffidence. 
If I were to go to my 20th HS reunion which is on the horizon, I don't think my classmates would understand my position in life.  The last time I got together with former classmates was a few years ago.  After fifteen minutes in the restaurant, I was thinking, "I don't have much to say to these people, and I didn't exactly "bond" with them in the '80s."

Well, I think the main thing that defines us as "grown up" is the fact that we frown on the cop killing rap music, pants that are 10 sizes too big, and the lack of respect for adults that many kids of today are sporting.

I'm sure many of our parents frowned on our styles when we were kids too.. but I dare to chance being a hypocrite by saying "That was different." :)

It was a totally different world when I was growing up.  The music was much more innocent AND much better.  The tv shows were entertaining and not just copycats of whatever was making ratings. (i.e. reality shows)  Most moms and dads were still together.  And we didn't DARE talk back to our parents or teachers, or any other adult. :-\\

I agree with Marty; the pop-culture is obviously an important element of the trip down Memory Lane we all love so much, but what makes the difference is the memories of who we were, and more importantly are we who we thought we would be.

Being born in the early 70s I have memories from being young through three decades, literally seeing the world going from hippies to yuppies, but the era that stuck, in my mind as well as in my heart, is the 1980s (Even though the '88-'94 periode is sort of melted together) and that will never change.

The fact is that Chris said it best, on the 1990s board; the 80s were magical, the 80s are home.

Thanks for that one Chris, Ponyboy said "Nothing Gold Can Stay" but that one will.

Well, I think the main thing that defines us as "grown up" is the fact that we frown on the cop killing rap music, pants that are 10 sizes too big, and the lack of respect for adults that many kids of today are sporting.

I'm sure many of our parents frowned on our styles when we were kids too.. but I dare to chance being a hypocrite by saying "That was different." :)

It was a totally different world when I was growing up. The music was much more innocent AND much better. The tv shows were entertaining and not just copycats of whatever was making ratings. (i.e. reality shows) Most moms and dads were still together. And we didn't DARE talk back to our parents or teachers, or any other adult. :-\\


Agreed. I always hated that kind of rap music, so in one sense, I've always kinda been "grown up". ;)

I think it does depend on the person and the situation, but overall, I do see kids/teens being total jerks in that regard more now. From what I recall of the 80's - and what I've seen - when they talked back, it was kinda in a more jokey way, as opposed to being really defiant.

I've even heard friends and classmates say stuff to authority figures I may have secretly felt like saying, but never would dream of actually doing it.

Even when I'm ticked off, my way of resolving conflict has always been to calmly talk about it in an articulate way. People will see your point much better - that works alot more than insulting or name calling, IMO.

Turning 25 and going into your late 20s and realizing you are approaching 30 is far, far worse then actually being 30.  The only thing is that I'd say about 70% of the people my age are married with kids, divorced, or engaged to be married.  I feel the pressure to settle down and be more "grown up", and people ask me all the time when I'll do it.  It's like they know I'm still trying to hold onto my youth, not wanting to have the wife and kids yet. 

Marty, I agree our longing for the 80s is mainly because of the age we were back then and how carefree it was for us.  I'll always miss the 80s, and you know what, basically most of the 90s too.


You know, I think people who become parents early in life seem to grow up faster, and vice versa. Well, if you have a kid at age 16, you HAVE to grow up - you're in charge of another human life who you need to love, watch out for and provide for. Priorities get completely thrown into a sharp left turn.

From what I know, having me didn't really change my folks. My mom was 27 when I was born (more a typical age) and she's always been the same - to this day, a very young-ish 51. Now, on the other hand, my dad was a bit older - 43 almost 44. He was already older, so he still had his "comparitively young" personality. Having me didn't change him, since he was already set in his ways.

In fact, for both of them, it might've actually made them feel younger. But again, if this had been ten years earlier and my mom was 17 not 27, it would've probably been different.

I was an only child - I feel almost obligated to have kids myself (though I would like to anyway - I think I'd be a good dad someday). Anything's possible, but I don't think it will change my personality.

Then again, as of right now I don't even have a girlfriend, let alone a steady girlfriend, or someone I'd consider marrying and having kids with. So all in all, I'm still a world away from where I would need to be to "settle down", so it could go either way I suppose. ;)

^Marriage and kids definately ages people. 

I know a few people your age Marty (24 years old) that are married, and they have started acting a bit more older, and teenage life wasn't even all that long ago for you guys. There is a very noticeable difference between the single people I know and the married with kids people I know.  It's really not so much that the married w/ kids people are more mature and grown up and all the single people are still walking around immature and thinking they are 18 (that's not fair to us to say we are trying to be 18 forever because we are single),.....it's more just an attitude difference.  When you become responsible for lives other then just your own, it seems to make you more calloused and uptight about everything in the world.  (and that's not a dig on married people, don't anyone take that the wrong way, I will join you guys in due time anyway) 

I'm married with two kids.  Having kids has most definitely "aged" me.  I worry a lot more, worry about paying the mortgage, providing for my family, and being a good father.  I guess you could say that it has made me grow up, in the sense that I can no longer make decisions based solely on what I want, but must instead make decisions based on what my family needs.  The carefree days of summer youth are gone.  Sometimes, I look in the mirror, and wonder who that tired old man is staring back at me.  Still, I feel that the tradeoff was worth it, especially when I hear my 2 year old daughter laughing as I give her "airlplane rides" around the house.  I do miss the 80's, and will love that decade for my remaining years.

Well, I think the main thing that defines us as "grown up" is the fact that we frown on the cop killing rap music, pants that are 10 sizes too big, and the lack of respect for adults that many kids of today are sporting.

I'm sure many of our parents frowned on our styles when we were kids too.. but I dare to chance being a hypocrite by saying "That was different." :)

It was a totally different world when I was growing up.  The music was much more innocent AND much better.  The tv shows were entertaining and not just copycats of whatever was making ratings. (i.e. reality shows)  Most moms and dads were still together.  And we didn't DARE talk back to our parents or teachers, or any other adult. :-\\


I can remember (very young, but still) when Chuck Berry, Elvis, etc came around and believe me the same thing people say about rap is what as said about rock and roll, and the sixties, parents being horrified by mini skirts and males being forceably held down and having their heads shaved.  Actually the guys had it bad because long hair could get you beaten up and the police didn't do anything if that happened, in many cases they were the ones doing the beating.  Moms and Dads were still together, even the ones in which Mom and the kids were being beaten senseless by Dad, and once again nothing was done about it because it was looked at as a family issue.  Nostalgia for the past is a two edged sword, people tend to think of it as a simpler time because they tend to ignore all aspects.

I grew up fast!!  I married at age 17 in 1985...Wasnt pregnant..( which is what everyone thought.)  ...Just recklass ...But by grown up I mean I had to take responsability for myself..Got a job...Realized money didnt grow on trees..LOL...But..I still had no sense..I still partied like a Teen and did a bunch of STUPID stuff...I do think Really growing up IS when you have kids and realize you dont want them to make the mistakes you did...I divorced my first husband..went through Cancer...Got remarried...became a stepmom to two boys and had a daughter.....I still feel like a much younger person..I am 38 but still get carded..Lve that..LOL..But also having gone throu Cancer made me realize how short life is and to NOT take things too seriously..Job,money,material things...all can be replaced...I always try to have fun..Laugh..The 80s were great for me in some ways but awful in others...But all was lessons learned...I wouldnt trade that time for anything..Made me a stronger person..

At the age of 24, I can safely say I had a taste of adulthood especially after two years in grad school and getting my first real job.  I was actually making money, real money from my job and developed a much stronger appreciation of not just it but everything, including everything that has gone by and still existing with me today, that I still have two living parents and a younger brother who went off to college this September. I also had the responsibility of TA'ing students so it's like I've already had some teaching experience which is way different from being a student altogether.

My life "jumped the shark" around the age of 20 though, when my carefree days were officially over and started to become more involved in my major, computer science; it became one day after another of spending time at the lab developing and debugging computer programs as well as developing/testing circuits at the electronics lab. Prior to that its like I have been acting more like my younger brother who is six years younger than me and even though I didn't enjoy his hobbies as much he did, I still wanted to act like him at times. That's all over now that he is in San Jose and I'm in San Diego and can now only communicate through the internet and phone.

I've commonly had a theory that the coolest/trendiest people also date the quickest.

A perfect example of this is Jesse from Full House. Before he meets Becky (especially in the first season), he's a 20-something rocker, into dating girls and riding motorcycles. It was sort of an extension of his teenage, wild days persona in a sense.

There was that one episode where he "runs away" to be with the band and all his buddies because he was weirded out by the abrupt turn his life was taking by moving in with Danny and the girls. He called it Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. ;D

Yet he grew up pretty fast in terms of responsibilities (though he's the man, so he was still super cool!) because he had to. Not just with DJ, Steph and Michelle or doing household stuff, but pretty soon he had his very own family.

If you watch him in Season 1 in 1987 and compare it with 1991, he's like a totally different person.

Now, of course he's a fictional character, but I have seen that sort of thing happen in real life quite a bit too. However, people who don't really live on the edge, or are more "mildly cool" as opposed to a huge partyer can usually hold onto their youth longer because it's less of a contrast.

I'm more in that latter category, so that's probably why I haven't felt the age change very much in about 7 or 8 years. When I hear about people telling me how different they are from even 2 years ago, it does kinda seem strange to me since I can't relate to it on a personal level.

I have a job (it doesn't pay very much), no kids, pay for rent to live in apartment, and have expensive bills to pay every month (cable, phone, and internet). As for vacations, I pretty much use that time to visit my mom during Christmas.  I often wonder what the me from the past would say if he where to met the me of today.


I hear ya! I think the "past you" would be proud that you have a job and your own place and do it all on your own. :) You may not be rich but at least you can hold your head up knowing that what you have, you earned. That's how I see myself. :P

I am glad I did not fall into the norm of graduating, marrying, kids and working long hours. Not that there is anything wrong with that... just that It was not for me. ;)

Has it occurred to anyone that the reason why didn't grow up like everyone else is that we simply were affected harder by the fact that we grew up one world, and now have to be adults in a totally different world, we would never have thought that the Wall would fall or that we would see the 2nd Russian Civil War live on tv, we are the last Cold War generation and we grew up expecting to live in a world divided between WAPA in the east and NATO in the west, making global war almost impossible, what we got instead is a world in an almost constant State-of-War.

I've commonly had a theory that the coolest/trendiest people also date the quickest.

A perfect example of this is Jesse from Full House. Before he meets Becky (especially in the first season), he's a 20-something rocker, into dating girls and riding motorcycles. It was sort of an extension of his teenage, wild days persona in a sense.

There was that one episode where he "runs away" to be with the band and all his buddies because he was weirded out by the abrupt turn his life was taking by moving in with Danny and the girls. He called it Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. ;D

Yet he grew up pretty fast in terms of responsibilities (though he's the man, so he was still super cool!) because he had to. Not just with DJ, Steph and Michelle or doing household stuff, but pretty soon he had his very own family.

If you watch him in Season 1 in 1987 and compare it with 1991, he's like a totally different person.

Now, of course he's a fictional character, but I have seen that sort of thing happen in real life quite a bit too. However, people who don't really live on the edge, or are more "mildly cool" as opposed to a huge partyer can usually hold onto their youth longer because it's less of a contrast.

I'm more in that latter category, so that's probably why I haven't felt the age change very much in about 7 or 8 years. When I hear about people telling me how different they are from even 2 years ago, it does kinda seem strange to me since I can't relate to it on a personal level.


Marty!!!

I've actually had that theory floating around in the back of my mind since I was a kid as well.  I was never a super cool, hardcore party guy myself either, but I was never a nerd with no life, I've always had my crew, but that swinger fast life was never my thing.  I too have noticed that people that are the most trendy when they are under the age of 20 or perhaps under the age of 25, tend to burn out the quickest.  They usually still retain their confidence and experience but they *tend* to be the ones holding onto dear life for all their stuff from 5-10 or 15 years ago.  Because that trendy nature defined them more then other people when they were in their young young years.  These were the people that wouldn't let go of the 50s during the vastly different 1960s, they were the people that wouldn't let go of their 8-tracks during the 80s, and simply wouldn't let go of the 80s in the 1990s. 

The most hilarious demonstration of it is when you see people who still walk around with a hairstyle from years ago, be it 70s, 80s or early-mid 90s.  You can tell they probably were the $#*! back in the day, but when pop culture moved on, they couldn't move with it quite as well.  Another fictional TV example would be Kelly Bundy from Married With Children, it was a 1992 or 1993 episode, and Kelly realized that the culture had moved on without her, it wasn't the 80s anymore and she wasn't 17.  Still another TV example was an episode of Happy Days, where the Fonz couldn't stand the 60s culture because he was soooo rooted in the 1950s.  People may laugh that we are bringing up these fictional TV examples, I feel pretty stupid bringing up TV examples, but screenwriters created these examples most likely from their own experiences or people that they know.  And yes, I have seen it happen a lot in real life too.  I knew a lot of "trendy people" as you say that were in their mid 20s back in the early 90s that were just freaked out that pop culture left them behind.

Let me tell you though, I have been waiting for a while to see this happen with people your age.  There are a couple of annoying people I know around 22 to 25 years old that I would love to see suffer through lost youth, but since the late 90s presence is still here so strongly, a lot of guys your age are not going through that yet.  At least not the drastic way previous age groups did.      

^ Yep. Right on the mark! :)

I'm even starting to notice it happening with some 90's people (even though the 90's aren't that outdated in comparison to, say the 80's in 1995).

I have a friend a year or so older than me who has Sugar Ray-esque hair and still wears a backwards baseball hat at times. I kinda teased him about being stuck in 1994 the other day. But I realized, that had we known each other then, he'd have been way "cooler" than me in school.

Now, I was just cool enough that he probably wouldn't have ragged on me or bullied me, but also enough of a difference to where all the kids who wanted to hang out with him likely wouldn't have given me the time of day in comparison. From what I know, he's been to ten times more parties than I ever have!

When I was a 12-13 year old young adolescent guy in 1994 I was only somewhat into the new styles, and I was mostly still listening to 80's music, etc etc.

Amazing how the role reversals can happen so fast too! LOL!