Have you had to stop yourself from becoming Grandpa Simpson yet?

When I was a kid, back in the 1900's my grandfather would always tell stories about how beers in bars should be a nickel. A pack of smokes shouldn't be more than a quarter. We would all groan and roll our eyes when he started doing this and then recently I noticed some of my friends were doing it too. And then to my own horror, I caught myself sitting at an outdoor table blabbing on about how I purchased my first home for 99k in the mid/late 90's and then I doubled down by reminding everyone how cool Austin was in the 90's. The music was great and it was everywhere and it was inexpensive to get in (but also, during my first couple years in Austin, I had no idea what cover charges actually were because I was a working musician and never paid for anything lol)

But I don't wanna be that guy. it's one thing to talk about it if asked. It's another thing when the only addition to the conversation we make is one that just glamorizes the past.

IMO to stay relevant, it's important to stay tuned in. Stay curious. As we age, so much of the wonder goes out of the world mostly just due to the fact we're older and we've seen a lot but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy life. It is important to keep the magic alive. Decorate the house for the holidays. Bust out the good china and best glasses. Make the fancy drink. Get your people together for a meal that takes forever to cook, 10 minutes to eat and 2 hours to clean up. Go see the old friend. Meet the new ones. Check on your people. Get all the hugs and kisses that anyone will give ya.

We've seen some shit y'all. a partial list: 1968 RFK and MLK assasinations 1969 We landed on the fucken MOON! 1974 Watergate resignation 1976 Bicentennial 1981 First Space Shuttle, (Columbia) 1982 and 1983 Xmas eve and then Thanksgiving blizzards that crippled Denver, CO 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger blows up. Many of us were still in school and they wheeled the cart into our classrooms to watch. 1991 Gulf War 1992 Hurricane Andrew in South Florida 1993 World Trade Center bombing 1995 Oklahoma City bombing 1999 Columbine High School Massacre (this wasn't our first, but it was the first time it caught national attention. 2001 September 11 attacks 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia explodes 2005 Hurricane Katrina 2008 Recession 2009 First Black President 2017 Vegas strip massacre 2020 COVID \--- Post COVID had been a trip y'all--- 2021 J 6 attacks 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal 2022 Roe V Wade overturned 2023 Rise of AI 2024 was a repeat of the election bullshit from 2020 2026 War with Iran, our own homeland security service is abusing our own citizens.

This list is in no way complete. But. damn y'all.

TL;DR 1. Yeah we've seen some shit. 7. Do NOT become the old person who only remembers the past. 8. I forgot what 8 was for Q. Tell your. people you love them. It's later than you think.

I'd love to hear y'alls old people moments and how you're taking steps to stay relevant (or not - nobody tells Gen X what to do)