1995

First, a warning: Mom and Dad, this post may seem boring to you, because I will be referring to a bunch of pop culture that you most likely either don't remember or wish you didn't remember.

You know that song by Bowling for Soup, "1985," that talks about a woman who is stuck in the 80s? Well, I came to a realization a few days ago, while riding in the car with my husband. We were listening to the radio, the same station I've been listening to since my freshman year of college, and a song came on that neither of us had ever heard, by someone we'd never heard of. We are old fogies. I am that woman from that Bowling for Soup song, except that instead 1985, I'm stuck in 1995. Here is proof:

1. My husband and I recorded all 5 hours of VH1's 100 Best Songs of the 90s, then stayed up all night watching it and reminiscing about back in the day when music was good. Back when people still knew who Pearl Jam was and when REM was touring. We knew all of the songs on the list. We even noticed which songs were missing that should have been included. If they do the same thing for this decade I may get lucky and recognize a few songs that made it into movies I saw.

2. The radio station I used to listen to (101.9, the End, which I was true and faithful to) had their flashback lunch, and I was expecting some early Depeche Mode, but got "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis instead. Which came out while I was in college. They referred to Oasis as a classic band. Remember the line from "1985" "When did Motley Crue become classic rock?" That actual lyric popped into my head when the DJ said Oasis was classic. I actually switched stations to X96 (my brother will be amazed, I think, that I listen to that station, because I am a fogie) because they play more 90s alternative than my old station. And they just call it good stuff, not classics.

3. My friends that are younger than me (and not by that much, actually) talk about bands all the time that I've never heard of. For example, I have now heard of Dashboard Confessional and Panic at the Disco, but I feel completely out of the loop, because I don't know their music at all. I used to pride myself in college for knowing who sang what song and being up on all the new stuff. Actually, my husband and I kind of make a game of it with songs from his iPod, which are all from the 90s. Yeah, we're fogies.

4. I still wear Gap jeans and T-shirts and the same sweaters I wore in 1995. And I have 6 pairs of Doc Martins. If you are wondering what Doc Martins are, look up 1995 fashion.

5. I feel betrayed by Bon Jovi, because I found out a while back that he was releasing a country album. Country!!! This is Bon Jovi, whose concerts I have attended, who thought I was a crazy stalker at the Olympic closing ceremonies because I was standing on my chair in the orchestra pit 10 feet away and screaming "I LOVE YOU!" I don't feel that way anymore, Mr. Jovi. And I just haven't connected like that with any of the more recent singers. Because I don't know who they are.

6. Some younger friends have commented in the past on my funny prom dresses. Funny as in old and out of date. I still don't get what's funny.

7. I still use the word awesome a lot. And I am not opposed to the use of the word rad. Like, I think "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is an awesome song, but not as rad as anything on U2's Joshua Tree album.

8. When someone tells me their car was made in 1995, I still think of it as kind of new. Not 13 years old and ready to retire. I saw a Mazda Miata in the parking lot at Walmart the other day, and I'm pretty sure it was a model from around 1995. It looked old, and not so hot anymore. It was kind of a shock.

Is anyone else with me? I am totally stuck in a time where music was the best, good movies were still being made, and clothes were totally cute. (I don't tuck in my shirts and puff them out, though--I know better.) And I realize that my tastes all froze 13 years ago whenever I hear that song "1985." Or when I look around and I'm the only one in Doc Martins in the room, and everyone else is groovin' to a song that came out 3 years ago that I've never heard of.