We all have those moments that remind us just how old we have become. For some of us, of course, there might even be constant reminders, such as crawling out of bed each morning feeling like you've been in a boxing match with a gorilla. How can sleeping cause such pain?
Anyway, in putting together some of our calendar listings for New Year's Eve events last week, I realized that lots of folks were throwing "Roaring '20s" parties. And, sure, I had realized that 2019 was ending and that 2020 was the next logical step in the evolution of things, seeing the "Roaring '20s" in writing and then realizing that using the name for the parties was not only appropriate, it was accurate.
What took me by surprise was also realizing that I felt almost as much of a connection to the last "Roaring '20s" as I do this current one. Kind of. Sort of. Let me explain.
No, despite outward appearances, I wasn't alive 100 years ago, but growing up, the era of flappers, bootleggers and jazz didn't seem that long ago thanks to movies, television and books such as "The Great Gatsby" and "Chicago."
There were so many movies about guys like Al Capone and Al Jolson and that era that it seemed both old and familiar at the same time.
Also, there are a bunch of really good documentaries dealing with the dramatic changes that took place from 1920 to 1929 that it is hard not to be familiar with the decade.
That was the decade when more people moved to big cities than ever before and the country's total wealth more than doubled, so here's hoping we see some of that again. Not the big-city part, but the money part.
Still, realizing that we are into a new decade of the '20s just seems weird to me for some reason. Almost as weird as rolling from 1999 to 2000 was, which reminds me that the whole Y2K scare was 20 years ago. So you can see why a body might feel old.
Maybe it seems like just last year because I'm still doing much the same job in the same place as I was back when we were consumed with the fear of computers crashing on New Year's Eve.
Speaking of Y2K, I do wonder what people who bought all that ammunition, food and water did with it on Jan. 2, 2000. Especially the ones who'd never hunted or really even fired a weapon before.
I knew several such folks who were stocking up to protect themselves when the hordes came for them. Maybe they have held on to everything, which means they will be ready for the zombie apocalypse.
Barry Courter
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.