April 29, 2009
Do you ever have those moments when you are suddenly sucked back in time and you simply cannot believe that you are a grown up?
I was on a field trip today with The Goon Squad. We were at the zoo and we were looking at the big cats when I walked by a teenager who was wearing the tour t-shirt of a death metal band that I hung out with back in high school.
Suddenly I was hyper aware of who I was. I was a 36 year old suburban lady standing at The National Zoo with my nearly five year old twins chaperoning a preschool field trip.
How the hell did that happen?
It was like my 17 year old self* was standing there looking at me as I am now.
She was surprised.
It isn’t that I don’t have pretty much everything I ever wanted. I do. I am happy about where I am in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not done yet, I have a lot yet to accomplish, but I feel like my life is on the right track.
I just can’t believe it all happened so fast.
Sometimes I feel like I was teenager 15 minutes ago.
*Shut up. You had the claw too.
Posted by Goon Squad Sarah @ 3:23 pm • Speak Up Sonny. I can't hear you.
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April 29th, 2009 at 3:50 pm, mommymae Says:
i know what you me about it all happening in the blink of an eye. i still feel like the same person, too.
and, no, i never did have the claw. all my friends did, but i safely managed to stay away from it.
i’m such a rebel.
April 29th, 2009 at 3:59 pm, LA Cochran Says:
It is kind of amazing how something so minor can swoosh you into another reality.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:08 pm, Sarah Says:
it’s funny that you wrote this today because just yesterday, I had a very similar flashback to my 14 year-old self. I was doing something pretty basic to me now, but that at 14, I just could not master. I had this image of 14 year-old me seeing me and thinking, “Dang, I grow up to be cool!”
If I could only please one person with how I turned out, I would want it to be that girl I was.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:13 pm, Peggy Says:
HA! I saw one of your Flickr comments about the 1985 song. How dead on IS that song anyway? Cracks me up every time I hear it.
I feel this way all the time…the fact that I bought my parents home and am living in the same house I grew up in probably doesn’t help either!
April 29th, 2009 at 5:05 pm, Maternal Mirth Says:
The claw, the perm AND the airplane wings… thank GOD there were no digital cameras back then!
April 29th, 2009 at 5:13 pm, Tammy Says:
I’ve been feeling like that too. Even though everything is great, I wonder what happened to me & how it happened so fast.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:12 pm, susan the chicken whisperer Says:
Sometimes when I sing bedtime songs to my kids, there’s a moment when I feel like I’m their babysitter.
We were at National Zoo on Friday, btw.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:29 pm, Lori Says:
Yep-I’ve had that experience a lot lately. You know, being pregnant and all.
As you may recall, I didn’t do the whole claw/perm thing. Actually, I’ve never even had a perm!!
April 29th, 2009 at 7:29 pm, egplnt21 Says:
Yes–it was at the drug store last week, buying saline spray for the baby. As I paid, I glanced at the “must be born on this date or later” sticker on the counter, and realized that kids who were born as I graduated from high school could now buy cigarettes. Like, when did we get this old?
April 29th, 2009 at 7:39 pm, Chicky Chicky Baby Says:
After seeing that picture I am even more convinced that you and I would have been best friends in high school.
So yes, I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:27 pm, js Says:
I have those moments of realization too and they FREAK ME OUT! I start thinking, “When the hell did I become a grown up?!?!?” It happens with being a mom as well. There are moments where I’ll hear my daughter calling “Mommy” from down the hall and I’m like, “Uh….what? Who? Oh, shit. That’s ME!” Who let THAT happen!??!
April 29th, 2009 at 9:25 pm, sam {temptingmama} Says:
Crap. I think that happens to be every. damn. day.
WTF happened here!? LOL
April 29th, 2009 at 10:50 pm, Alex Says:
I was shocked the other day to find that it had been FOURTEEN years since I’ve graduated from college. 14?!? Really? I feel like it was yesterday that I was drinking my fill of Natural Light. The upside to that is I can afford much better beer these days.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:01 pm, DCBlogs » DC Blogs Noted Says:
[...] and the Goon Squad sees her seventeen year old self at the National Zoo (and she has a photo link, [...]
April 30th, 2009 at 6:18 am, DC Sports Chick Says:
I know EXACTLY what you mean- I’ve been feeling the same way.
I’m jealous that you were able to get those bangs; I never could master it.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:57 am, Karen Sugarpants Says:
TOTALLY.
April 30th, 2009 at 12:26 pm, Sarah Says:
Yes, I had that same thought ALL day on Tuesday. To prove my adult-ness, I woke up and ate dessert for breakfast yesterday. Because I could, and that is what adults do!
April 30th, 2009 at 3:37 pm, Phil Says:
Memories.
Last time I was at National Zoo was at Ratt’s glorious pinnacle. The bobcat there mauled my friend Wayne’s finger (so that’s why the sign says ‘do not touch’). Love connections were made with the young ladies on the trip, with their rabbit-fur coats and baggy sweaters. Good times.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:58 pm, Stimey Says:
Totally. In my head I’m still cool. But to the youngsters, I’m invisible.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:47 pm, heyjoe Says:
It’s amazing isn’t it? There are times when I feel like high school was just a few years ago. It blows my mind that I’ve been a “graduate” for 26 years.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:40 pm, Sara Says:
Oooh, I’ve been there. I was chatting with a saleswoman a couple years ago and discovered that she and I graduated from schools in the same athletic league. I started asking her about the people I knew from her school. She gave me a very strange look. Then it occurred to me to ask when she graduated. Turned out she was a good 10 years younger than me. Yipes!
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:06 pm, LifeAsIKnowIt Says:
Yep, it flies by in the blink of an eye. Just as long as we don’t lose ourselves in the process, it’s all good.
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:26 pm, Zip n Tizzy Says:
Yeah. I’m 36 too, and it hits me on a daily basis. Especially when my husband tries to make some point by telling me that I’m almost 40 – and he’s right!
I would have been so envious of you back then though. I tried to get the perm, but, it didn’t take and just ended up a frizzy mess.