A few years ago, while living in a different city and state, I had a girlfriend who was about 10 years older than me. We were both new to the city we were living in and were experiencing a bit of culture shock in our own ways. When we would share our stories over a martini or mocha her stories as a 30-something were always delivered with this “DO YOU EVEN BELIEVE THAT WOULD HAPPEN?!” tone, to which my reply was often “it’s not that crazy really”. Her default reply to my unshaken response to her “horror” stories became “it’s a generation thing”.
As I continue the ride through my 20’s I catch myself using that phrase as both an excuse and a question for myself; “Is it a generational thing?”
I watched big Mike sing “This Women’s Work” on American Idol a few weeks ago and I told my friend that I thought he did the Maxwell song justice. Her reply was “who is Maxwell? . . That’s a Kate Bush song!” Thank goodness for Youtube and Wikipedia because I quickly learned that Kate Bush did write and originally record the song . . .in 1989!! Kate Bush \"This Woman\'s Work\" I was six! Now I would like to think that I enjoy a wide range of music and that my knowledge isn’t segregated to only what I consider to be current or relevant, but come on now at age six how much modern music are we listening to let alone retaining?!? It was nearly 10 years later (1997) that Maxwell covered “This Women’s Work” on MTV Unplugged. Maxwell \"This Women\'s Work\"I would have been fourteen-ish when this version was released. Fourteen-ish is about the ripe old age when we start sitting on our bedroom floor with our boom box tuned to the coolest radio station with our finger hovering over the record button waiting for a good song to play so we can make the perfect mixed tape, right? Then in 2000 the Maxwell version was played in the sappiest of scenes in the move Love and Basketball . . .the movie that I with little shame admit that I watched my freshman year in college over and over from my bottom bunk while locked in my dorm room. Love and Basketball \"This Women\'s Work\"
This, I confidently admit, is a generational thing.
When I walk through the crowds of kids pouring out of the movie theater and Powell’s Sweet Shoppe and see just how short shorts can be, or how tight skinny jeans can get. I can’t help but wonder why it seems to be so cool to wear shorts so short, or how on earth it can be comfortable to wear jeans that tight! I must be out of touch with what is “cool” and the difference between what is cool at fifteen-ish now and what it was 10 or so years ago when I was that age is staggering!
Is this what it’s like to be on the other side of the generational gap? . . .is this a generational thing? Must be.
