Generations
SO I have a young friend.
Met him at work, I call him “Young Grasshopper Jr.”
Case Study: Young Grasshopper
Young Grasshopper was a co-worker of mine this past summer. We talk every once in a while and if you’re reading this entry via Facebook he’s currently on my wall. Let’s go back to the first impression:
My manager and another co-worker than alerted me to the fact that a third co-worker of ours had a bit of a crush on me. He was younger, 19 in fact, so in my mind he was automatically disqualified although they said he acted older.
So said dude walked in a little while later. He was dressed in a black freshly pressed button down shirt, some dark khaki pants, and shiny shoes. He also looked like he had a fresh haircut. I knew I always overdressed for a job working in a video game store, but I was extremely impressed by the way he looked.
During his observation period he got 4 strikes. One for stereotyping (assuming I play Sims just because I’m a girl….so what if I do? I just hate it when people try to fit me into a category), and three for using profanity when he doesn’t even know me (I hate that. I think it’s extremely rude for males to cuss around females they don’t know. If I have a son, that will be a very important thing for me to teach him.)
Despite the strikes, he was the first person of the summer to rightly and completely pass the test of okay-ness and earn my phone number.
Young Grasshopper Jr. came about from a miscalculation in age. Another co-worker type person (sub-contractor), I thought he was kinda cute. I asked my receptionist friend how old he was, she said late 20’s.
Chatted him up some. Transferred to gchat.
Jokingly asked when his birthday was including year of birth (to confirm).
May 15, 1990.
:|
Yeeeaaaahhh….naw.
Got put in the just kidding bucket.
He’s still cool though! We’re going to race go carts this weekend.
I try to always insert that age difference thing in some way in each conversation to not encourage feelings tho.
Trying to position myself as mentor rather than potential romance thing.
He’s a really good guy!
No college, but has tons of certs and always studying for more (really disciplined in that. Literally puts away several hours a day to study undisturbed. Admirable.) .
Has not once been suggestive, when people my age would go there right away.
Doesn’t hang with a lot of people of his own race…thinking I might be one of the few Black chicks he’s ever associated with…and for that he finds me fascinating (his words).
He travels a lot for funsies.
Doesn’t watch a lot of TV…kind of out of the loop pop culture wise.
A really positive person. Always smiling and happy.
And plus, Taurus power.
He’s going to be a good catch in a few years when he gets established or would be one now if I was 22. Potential energy + Kinetic energy = Work (or however that goes).
One without the other is mostly useless.
Our conversations are interesting (and constant reminders that dude is so young)…I found out he’s never heard of A Different World.
Then realized he wouldn’t have…that show went off the air when he was 3.
Yikes!
1990….man I’m not TOO far ahead of him at 1985, but I vividly remember 1990-1999…was old enough to remember what was going on in the world…
He didn’t even know much about TGIF or Saturday Morning cartoons either!
I was like “what was your childhood made of?!?!?!”
I’m sure I appear young and inexperienced to people older than me, but MAN! 22…
Well actually…at 22 I was just starting at my company and working 10 hours a day just like now, lol…
…
Alas…
But yeah really interesting.
What is childhood like now that we don’t have the things that were around during OUR childhoods?
What shared experiences exist other than mass terror?
People born in 90’s were born during a transition period. At least 80’s babies had leftovers from the 70’s…we had solid tv and internet was newfangled so not so “i want it now” driven.
What’s it like to not be excited to watch primetime tv because “On demand” didn’t exist and reruns were rare? (TGIF, Cosby Show, Different World, Home Improvement, Roseanne, Growing Pains, Wonder Years, etc.)
Or to not have awesome syndicated cartoons during programming blocks like Toonami or Saturday Morning Cartoons (both premiered in 1997). (Reboot, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sailor Moon, Power Rangers, Duck Tales, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, Flintstones, Jetsons, Mickey Mouse Club(s), All That, etc.)
You unfortunates born in the 90’s…
WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD MADE OF?!?!?!
