Am I getting old or what?!?

Today we were hanging out with some friends who were born in the early half of the 80's. I was telling one of them about "The Karate Kid" (from 1984) and then had to remark to her that she was probably a baby when it came out. Later, she was telling me that she first saw "Titanic" in 8th grade. I was a senior in college! Of course, I had to mention this out loud too. Despite the huge age gap, my husband and I feel connected to this couple, as well as another couple who is around the same age as them. We always have lots to talk about with them.

Is there a name for the generation that went to college in the early to middle half of this past decade? I know the one I am in is called Generation X. Is the next group Generation Y, or was that just a working title until something that sounded better came along? It's funny to talk about stuff from the 80's and realize that some people never got to experience them...or at least not in the same way we did. It's also weird to think that my children never experienced a century prior to this one. Where does the time go?

What I love about living in the DC area is seeing all the history everywhere. I've never been that much into history, but it was one of the first things that really struck me as profound about Washington DC overall. We went to the Newseum a few weeks ago and I was amazed at all the history that could be seen there, in comparison with any other museum. Newspapers really show it all. It was cool to see. It's interesting to think about stuff that happened even during the time my parents and grandparents were growing up. There's so much out there that is even beyond my grasp.

Finally I wanted to share that I was listening to a top 40 countdown on the radio this evening. One of the stations broadcasts old countdowns done by Casey Kasem. This one had to have been from the late 80's. I could tell from the feel of the music. Despite all I hated about my junior high years, the music was a lot of fun. Someone even pointed out today that "The Humpty Dance" came out 20 years ago. I was in 8th grade at this time 20 years ago. Unbelievable!