The Peter Pan of Pop Culture

As I have written before, I love to know what all young people are watching, what is trendy, what is popular. Whether it's 3-year olds watching High School Musical or teenagers listenging to Vampire Weekend, I want IN. I mean, I keep up with Kardashians. In the last year, I have become obsessed with keeping up with my friend's 15-year old niece. I have known her since she was a baby and have watched her grow up. And she's at that perfect age, where you just want to know what the kids are up to...what she is watching, what her friends are listening to, who's going out with who, how are kids dating these days. Are they texting? Are they facebooking? I just want to join the party. Every time I see her I bombard her with questions and it's a little obnoxious. I'm sure she just rolls her eyes at me.

Well, I got confirmation of this eye rolling.

At my best friend's wedding this past year, the drinks were flowing and we were on the dance floor and every song that played, I felt this urge to teach her about it, give her some schpeel that somehow related to my childhool. Def Lepard comes on. "Oh, Pour Some Sugar On Me is my favorite song! I remember at my 8th grade dance in 1989... ". "Oh, you don't know a lot of Bon Jovi? Oh, I'll make you a mix CD with all the best Jovi songs!".

UGH. I wouldn't stop. I mean, come on... Do you really think this 15 year old girl wants a CD from a girl in her 30's who clearly can't deal with not being young anymore? I mean, I'm cool.. but I'm not young. Another round of drinks please. Then it happened. She got up from the table to dance to "Jesse's Girl", and I almost flipped my lid. She likes this song?! I LOVE THIS SONG! I can tell her about Rick Springfield on my wall and how I loved him on General Hospital. This was my moment. So excited that she knew and LOVED this 80's song. I darted right for her. Of COURSE I had a story to tell her... I really believed it was a good one. "I remember being at the bus stop in the 80's and this song was playing on Lana Holloman's walkman....". She just looked at me. Why wouldn't I stop? I COULDN'T stop. These stories I was telling her sucked. She didn't CARE. And I REALLY wanted her to care. I really thought the next day she was going to tell her Aunt/my friend "Wow, she is really cool. She's going to make me a CD of all her favorite music from the 80's. I can't wait to make copies for all of my friends". That's what I wanted her to say. YET, it didn't quite go like that....

It went something like this:

"Your friend was REALLY drunk last night. She kept telling me all these old stories from the 80's and how she was going to make me a mix CD." Insert eye roll.

Dammit! So close. I thought I was in. Next time, next time...

I've since realized why I care so much. I loved my childhood, I loved those years in middle school and high school when you are discovering yourself, when we were truly growing up. Every moment. Every birthday party, soccer game, school dance, when you liked a boy and you wanted him to ask you out. I remember what I was wearing, what song was playing and I look at these young kids and I'm jealous. Straight up jealous. I want them to savor every moment and appreciate it like I did. I'm like the Peter Pan of pop culture. I don't want to grow up. I wish I could be a teenager forever. So this girl got off easy. Wait til my 3-year old niece turns 13, she is going to get the 50-year old version of this and I feel very very sorry for her. It's going to be scary.