“Feeeeed the woooooorld. Let them know it’s Christmas time!” I sing a song from Christmas in the 80s in the car. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my teenage daughter look at me. She is unimpressed. “Why is that even a Christmas song?” she asks. She has a good point. Amidst all [Read More]
Telling My Teen All About Flashdance
Nobody likes to argue with their chidren, especially their teenage children. However, I actually enjoyed a recent argument I had with my fifteen-year-old daughter. It started when she asked me to stop talking about her going to college. She is a sophomore in high school and I innocently said something like “In a few years, [Read More]
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Telling My Teens about the “Old Days” (When I Was a Kid)
“Mom, did they have paper plates when you were little?” I looked at my teen who had just asked this question, thinking he had to be joking. But he stared at me with all seriousness. My teenager thought we didn’t have PAPER PLATES when I was little? You mean, in the 70s and 80s? Yikes! [Read More]
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Gen X Greetings to Use While Social Distancing
Some days during the pandemic I felt like Ally Sheedy’s character, Allison Reynolds, in The Breakfast Club. I buried my head, refused to talk, and felt scared and skittish. Yet there were days during quarantine when I felt like a totally different John Hughes’ character, Ferris Bueller. I looked for small sources of joy in [Read More]
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Ok Gen X: Thinking about the 70s and 80s
Last fall my teenage son started using the phrase “Ok Boomer” just about every day. “Hey, don’t forget to take out the trash,” I’d say. “Ok Boomer,” he replied. “Time to go to church! Let’s get in the car,” I’d mention. “Ok Boomer,” he replied. Like most Gen Xers, I was offended by his reply. [Read More]
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Of Pedicures, the 80s, and Midlife
My daughter, 11, and I went to get pedicures the other day. It’s a little luxury that I splurge on in the summer when people actually see my feet. The nail salon we go to is very nice–nothing scary or dirty, and the nail “stylists” are professional. (Is that what they are? What is their [Read More]
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Still More Generation X References That My Kids Don’t Get
I sat on the couch next to my teenage son. Growing cold, I reached out and grabbed the blanket next to him. That’s when inspiration struck. “Reach out, reach out and touch someone!” I sang as I leaned over him. “Read out, reach out, and just say hi!” He looked at me as though I [Read More]
