Anybody that knows me is well aware of my obsession with Roseanne. That being said, it should come as no surprise that this was inspired by her. As I was getting my fix at work yesterday I came upon it, the perfect idea. While she is pregnant with little Jerry, she makes a video tape of each of them speaking to him. During her overly long yet inspirational speech she says this: "I cannot even imagine the things that you'll see in your lifetime because I saw unbelievable things in my lifetime. I saw people walking on the moon. I saw a woman run for vice president. The fall of Communism. And Michael Jackson marry Lisa Marie Presley, an event that will send thousands of Elvis impersonators right back into truck driving." That's when it hit me. I want to document the unbelievable things that I've either first hand witnessed or been alive to tell the tale of. All of mine might not be as remarkable as some people's but they're the things that I'll one day tell my grandchildren and let's face it, they'll love it. So, enjoy.
In my 20 years we've had four presidents. Two Bush men who both seemed to have screwed up more than they helped. One unfaithful, yet charming Clinton. And the first African-American man to hold the title.
Obama is probably the only one that I really remember paying attention to his campaign though. I've got a lot of it video taped (which will probably be non-existent when I have grandchildren). In watching history be made through Obama, I unfortunately had to be a part of the Sarah Palin fiasco. I despise that woman.
The year I was born, 1990, Hubble telescope launched into space. I'm not into that kind of science so I've never paid that much attention. All I know is they've come a long way. I remember a shuttle exploding one year. I know that sounds terribly disrespectful but I don't remember the year nor the name of the shuttle so that's all there is to say about that.
Right before I came to be, Nelson Mandela was released from a twenty something year stretch in prison. By the time I was three he was president of South America.
Also, when I was three, OJ Simpson was accused of double murder. He walked away free.
Tiger Wood wins the Masters when I was six. He remains a golf hero until I got to be around 19. Now, he's globally known as a club swingin adulterer.
I remember when Titanic came out. To this day, I cry my eyes out.
Technology made it's big take over in my teen years. I can actually remember a time when people didn't run into walls because they were tweeting.
When I was in the fifth grade, I remember my teacher bursting into tears when she got the word that there had been a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. One other person in my class understood what that meant. I remember my mom being upset as well but I had no clue what it all was supposed to mean. I remember not being able to watch anything on TV because the news of it was everywhere. If I had a nickle for every time I saw the footage of the plane penetrating the building, shoowee.
I experienced having a loved one in the military after that. My brother has done three terms overseas since then. Therefore, I was a huge follower of the yellow ribbon craze.
I was told that the events that took place on September 11, 2001 were at the fault of Osama Bin Laden. So, I was more than confused when we went after Saddam Hussein for all of that craziness. Long story short, the manhunt for Bin Laden never ceased but we were determined to take down Hussein. He was executed right after I turned sixteen. Oh! And Bin Laden four years and like three months later. :)
I can remember when gas was a dollar something. My mom, at one time, worked at a gas station in Demossville and I can picture how much it was on those old school pumps. However, I also remember a time when the huge signs in the city read $4.00. Maybe they'll come up with an alternative and maybe we'll be paying an arm and a leg to get somewhere. Who knows?
Enough with the CNN talk. ;)
Pop culture was a big interest for me. I've always paid great attention to which celebrity was with who and what movie was big this year. I remember the whole Justin and Britney ordeal. I knew that Puff Daddy and J-Lo were never really an item. I was devastated, with the rest of the world, when Brad and Jennifer got a divorce and he got with that skank. If you wonder if they ever dated, I can set your record straight.
The biggest movie 'things' I've been around for are probably the Disney fad, the superhero kicks (Spiderman, Batman, etc), Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter <3, friggin Twilight (which will always be a no-no in my house), the Pixar boom, Brokeback Mountain (not homophobic but that still ain't right! you can't mix cowboys and gays), and The Passion of the Christ. Many more but those are the ones that stick out.
With music, there were so many stages I went through. Of course, when I was little, I listened to country music and 80's hair bands. Most would say you can't help who your parents are but I'd be lying if I said I never went back because now that is all that I listen to. Like mother/father like daughter. However, I did have quite the journey here. I had my boy band kick. I was 100% positive that I was going to marry AJ McLean and live happily ever after as a Backstreet Boy fan dogging N*Sync. Then I got weird. I stopped believing in color, apparently. That was my 'I hate my life' phase when all I listened to was something that can only be defined as screaming and a guitar solo. Following that, I was a G. Sporting nothing on my MP3 player that didn't fit between 'Nothin but a G thing' and 'Party Like a Rockstar'. Lame! I'm aware. But now here I am. I consider myself to be very eclectic because I went through all of those stages. But, like I said, I stick to my roots and mostly break it down with some Journey and George Strait.
Throughout all that music jumping, there's been heartbreak all over. I was young when Kurt Cobain 'killed himself'. That's the first one I can remember hearing about. Some other news worthy people who've passed on since I've been alive: Freddie Mercury, Conway Twitty, Dr. Seuss, River Phoenix, JonBenet Ramsey, The Notorious BIG, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Tupac Shukar, John F. Kennedy Jr., Chris Farley, Dale Earnhardt, Aaliyah, Queen Elizabeth, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, a countless amount of people due to the Oklahoma City Bombing, Johnny Cash, John Ritter, Rosa Parks, Richard Pryor, Steve Irwin, Heath Ledger, Bernie Mac, all of the Golden Girls but except one, Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze and a big amount of people in Waco, TX but I never understood what happened there.
In an attempt to lighten this up a bit after all that death, I'm done discussing what happened to the world and America. I'll need personal stories to tell as well.
I'll be sure and tell my grandchildren that I have seen so many things in my life that can take your breath away, starting with the small. I'll tell them about fishing, about baiting a hook on a hot summer day with their great-grandpap, about how things like that should be memories that you cherish. Then I'll tell them of the big things.
I'll tell them about the mountains in Kentucky, how beautiful they are right before the sun comes up. I'll tell them about the river, how when you sit in just the right spot with just the right attitude and block out any sound, you'd swear you were in heaven. Then I'll tell them of my travels. I will want them to know how much world there is out there. How they should jump at any opportunity because it's amazing.
I'll start with Washington DC and how at home and proud it makes you feel. How when I stood at on the steps at Lincoln's feet, I was almost overwhelmed. Or how cold it feels to stand next the Vietnam Memorial Wall < I'll also give them the name, James Englert, their great-grandma's old beau, who is on that wall so they can get a rubbing just like I did. I'll tell them I hope that they visit the Holocaust Museum and to really take it in and not be afraid to cry. I'll tell them to take their time and pay attention, especially to the White House because i expect one of them to call that home. ;)
After that, I'd want them to know about Montana. I will encourage anybody and everybody I meet to go there at least once. I don't think I have ever seen nor will I ever see anything as beautiful as the trip to Montana. Along the way, I got the opportunity to see Mt. Rushmore which was incredible to say the least. I've been to Yellowstone and seen Old Faithful. There's really no other way to describe any of it except by saying that I'd go again in a heartbeat. Pictures can do no justice. Because it's not about the view. It's about the story behind it or the wonderment of how it got there or why God decided for it to be. It's truly and utterly mind boggling.
By the time I get to where I'll need stories to tell my grandchildren I'm sure I'll have many, many more. But I think that I've got a fair amount with my 20 years so far. :)
Until next time.
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