A Quarter Century Ago I was 12
1999 was 25 years ago. I was twelve. Too young to attend the third (and final) iteration of the groundbreaking Lilith Fair and too young to fully understand the Clinton impeachment trial. I wasn’t old enough (according to my dad..) to stay up and watch the Connecticut Huskies break Duke’s 32-game winning streak in their first-ever win national championship in one of the biggest point-spread upset in NCAA history, but I was old enough to attend my first concert (Britney Spears) and my first Red Sox game.
In 1999, I entered the sixth grade at a brand-new school. That year, Einstein was named the person of the century, the Matrix and The Sixth Sense were released in theaters (the latter in my nightmares), Napster was king and quickly birthed the bastards that ushered in the second golden age of piracy (yeehaw, Lars!): Pirate Bay, LimeWire, and Kazaa.
In ‘99, The Internet was such a novelty we dedicated a whole room in our house to it. The Computer Room was a magical realm. One that you had to beg and barter entry for but in ironic retrospect, a digital mirage you could close the door and leave behind.
In ‘99, Fred Durst break-ed stuff, mainly, hippie’s hearts and $38 million dollars of infrastructure. In ‘99, Geri Hallwell (better known as Ginger Spice) released her solo album Schizophrenic (who remembers Look At Me?!?!) In ‘99 soccer star Brandi Chastain ripped off her shirt to reveal ~SEXISM!~ …I mean her exuberance in scoring the fucking penalty cup that won the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
1999 was Columbine. It was “texting” and “blog” becoming new English words. 1999 was Y2K hysteria. I still remember the collective breath-holding as we inched towards midnight and going outside to roll in the snow after nothing happened. 1999 was the year Jon Stewart began hosting The Daily Show and the U.S. airlifted 20,000 Kosovar refugees fleeing the violence of Serbia. 1999 was 17 musicians pulling together a benefit cd to raise money during the Balkan conflict. The way I was OBSESSED with Pearl Jam’s “Last Kiss,” y’all.
Gazing back across this vast expanse of time, it's almost surreal to realize that 1999 was a quarter of a century ago. The world has transformed in ways I couldn't have fathomed as that wide-eyed pre-teen navigating the turn of the millennium. At twelve, I understood so little. Now 25 years later, on the precipice of turning 37, I feel like I have more questions than answers:
Is it a rite of passage to reflect on your generation’s bygone days?
Whatever happened to Ask Jeeves?
Why were we (and by we I mean me) obsessed with those pixel paper dolls? (oh, I know. Because Dollz Mania is actually the.shit.)
Is greedflation just capitalism in its final evolution?
How did Sarah Maclachan’s legacy get diluted down to those distressing ASPCA commercials?
How many tiktok videos does it take to ruin your skin irreversibly?
Why Kosovo and not Palestine?
How did we allow something that was (and is) consistently marketed to bring us closer than ever, push us farther apart?
Who do we have to pay to pass an age-limit bill?
Why does it always feel like there’s a collective yearning for simpler times? And why can’t we seem to harness it for the greater good?
I don’t have the answers. But I do have a mason jar full of pure tallow balm up for grabs, my beloved copy of Surfacing, and Jon Stewart back on The Daily Show.
Books I'm reading:
Mastery by Robert Greene (just me again, on the late train choo choo!)
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby (I’m not sure if I like this or not but she’s a DMB superfan, so we’re leaning towards like)
Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Becky Kennedy (Anyone else read this? What’d ya think?)
Hiroshima by John Hersey (I finally watched Oppenheimer and predictably fell into an atomic-size rabbit hole.)
Place we've been exploring: Saratoga Springs State Park! It’s more than just a place to watch Dave Matthews Band concerts, apparently!
Things that have given me pause: This piece by Ailsa Ross about loving mosquitoes. Which in turn, led me to this art installation. Personally, I like mosquitoes. In first grade I had a friend named Patrick and we would draw cartoon mosquitoes together at every recess. In fourth grade, I did my big class project on mosquitoes and last year, I got Arnold Lobel’s ferryman mosquito tattooed on my arm. THIS IS NOT AN AD SPONSORED BY MOSQUITOES.
Sing, Vesna! March’s Playlist: In ancient Slavic mythology, Vesna is a female deity associated with springtime, harmony, and the triumph of life over death. During the 19th century, Vesna’s day was celebrated when “the sun bounced three times with joy,” marking the advent of spring on March 1st. Read more about Vesna here. March’s playlist is a mixed bag of altruistic artists and Lilith Fair babes who sang their songs in hopes of a better world, a tune we can all get behind.
Current Obsessions:
Carpe Ovum! it’s Cadbury Egg SZN babies!
liquid lanolin. I’ve always been a Bag Balm user (thanks, Mom!) As kids, we’d smear it on our hands and wear socks to bed (for morning butter-soft hands of course) and it’s a lifesaver for winter skin. However, BB isn’t pure lanolin and the liquid stuff goes on and gets absorbed much easier in my experience (take it from a girl who named her [late] cat Lanolin [rip]). Plus, according to a handful of amazon reviews, it also makes great case lube, which I awkwardly googled so you didn’t have to. It’s lube. For your guns.
this tiktok account that talks about animals as if he were Smeagol.
saying, “save it for the lord” when my kids are whining/singing/screaming at me. This is not a technique I gleaned from a parenting book.
Flotsam: My birthday is Friday, March 1st (I’ll be 37) and I feel like I’ve already packed an entire year into the last two months. I completed a course in Transcendental Meditation (TM) and am now a proud twice-a-day meditator (at least for now. keep reading). I had three pieces of writing published. Got certified in Wilderness First Aid. Interviewed for a FTJ (who knows!? I don’t). And we adopted a dog! A puppy really. All of which will definitely upset the carefully stacked apple cart I finally thought I got the hang of pushing. But what better way to celebrate getting older than to eat a big, fat slice of uncertainty pie.
Stay in motion,
Tay
UPCOMING HIKES
Celebrate Maple Sugaring Season (almost at capacity)
Saturday, March 9, 2024. 9:30 AM – 11 AM
Join Berkshire Natural Resources Council and Berkshire Family Hikes to celebrate the New England tradition of maple sugaring at Holiday Brook Farm in Dalton. Highlights of this family-friendly event include a short hike on the farm and a fun activity. Participants will also get to visit the farm animals (including emus!) and bring home a maple sugar treat. Holiday Brook Farm will be hosting tours of the boiling room and serving a pancake breakfast (optional/additional cost applies) until 1:00 pm.
Difficulty: Easy
What to Bring: Please bring water, wear sturdy footwear, and wear layers.
Location: Holiday Brook Farm, Dalton
Hike Leader: Taylor
Language: This hike will be led in English.
Questions: For questions reach out to Taylor at berkshirefamilyhikes@gmail.com
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