I’ve always felt like I’m a pretty hip mom, a pretty with-it grandma.
Apparently I’ve been deluding myself.
Brianna and her boyfriend, David, were visiting recently and we, along with Jim, somehow got on the topic of Facebook, of which I’m a member (see, I’m sorta hip and with it).
Brianna said, “Yeah, I just became a fan of ‘When I was your age, we had to blow on our video games.’ Did you see that one, Mom?” She and David laughed as if it was the funniest thing on earth.
Jim’s face went blank as he’s not on Facebook and didn’t get any part of the conversation. My face went blank as I tried to figure out what the heck that group could be about. All that came to mind was the old games in which miniature metal football players or hockey players moved across a metal playing field via magnets under the players’ feet. I didn’t remember those ever having to be blown into position, but then again, I never really played those games.
Brianna quickly realized I saw no humor in the blowing on video games group.
“Don’t you get it?” she asked.
Uh, no.
She and David tried to jog my memory — and Jim’s — with tales of having to blow on the Nintendo cartridges when the game froze up. They laughed and went through the motions of cartridge blowing.
“Everyone did it. Don’t you remember?” Brianna asked again, as if maybe it were just a matter of diminished memory.
No, I don’t remember. I don’t remember because I never did that. And I never saw the girls do it while playing the Nintendo. (Sheesh … what kind of mother am I to not notice such a weird thing?)
It was a moment of generational differences made oh-so clear. A moment that shattered my Cool Mama/Cool Grandma facade.
A moment that was to bound to come, I guess. Because I’m old. I’m uncool. And I never blew on my video games.
But, ya know what? If there’s a Facebook fan group called “When I was your age, our video game was a dash-shaped paddle that volleyed a two-dimensional black ball back and forth across the screen” I am so all over that one.
Because, believe it or not, I am still hip in some circles.
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p.s. I dropped your name on Gina's post, Barb. ;)
thank you so much Lisa, that helps a lot. I know he tried to blame me for so much stuff, but like I told all of his family and mine none of that added up to a divorce. I do realize it's his needs, it just hurts so bad to think how many years he's
just the other day shared with my 14yo that I can even remember way back to spending an entire summer on the Jersey shore with no TV at all, no phone and no car, OMG! we rode bikes, went to the beach, played tennis and walked and walked and walked and never felt like we were missing a thing… and I’m only 51, none of these memories were really that long ago, but tech now seems to run our lives, how did that happen?!?
I know where you’re coming from Bonnie. And it seems there’s no escaping technology. Yeah, you can not get online and not use a cell phone and not join all the high-tech “fun” but then you’re behind the times. You’re pretty much forced to use technology, whether you want it or not. I do need to get better about finding balance — getting away from the computer and out in the sunshine (or snow, as is the case today).