u/MeNotYouDammit

A lot has changed in our lifetime. It's comforting to know that some things are the same.

Anyone else notice a small pleasure that hasn't changed?

My wife and I are both in our late fifties. We still like to hit a happy hour now and then. We love chilling with friends over an adult beverage or sometimes we even crank up the music a little.

Is anyone else still in their party phase?

Does anyone else still regularly use lines from songs in everyday life?

Have you seen Junior's grades?

If it was a regional business please state what region.

I'll go first. Service Merchandise - They always had great sales and I just lived watching my purchase come down that conveyor belt. When I was 19, I bought my dad a VCR and First Blood on VHS from there. It was my family's first VHS player.

For me there are two tragic events that I have particularly vivid memories of exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news.

Of course the first is when the first plane hit the World Trade Center, I was scheduled to be at work late that day, so I was sleeping in. My wife called and said that I might want to turn on the TV. I was watching as the second plane hit.

The other is the death of Elvis. My mom was a huge fan. She and I were driving home from the grocery store when the news came over the radio. She almost wrecked the car. When we got home, she went to my parents room and closed the door. She didn't come out for over an hour. She mourned that man as if he was a family member. Because of her I have been a lifelong fan of his music.

I also have an event that I remember just as vividly that wasn't in any way tragic. That being when I heard the news that Van Halen had brought on Sammy Hagar as there new lead singer. I was a huge fan of both.

For me it was meeting my wife. We met in '92 and married in '95. In 1992 I was 26 and partying like I wanted to die. Holding down a job and sleeping with any woman who would give me the time.

One night, in a dance club, as I was watching the dance floor, an angel walked up and said "hi". We talked all night that night.

I firmly believe that I would not be here today, if not for her.

So my mom listened to mostly soft rock and my dad was pure outlaw country. I was with Dad a lot as we bounced around in his old truck hunting, fishing and camping whenever he wasn't working. So I adapted country as kind of my music. That meant in junior high I mostly hung out in the roper crowd (the kids who wore boots and western style belts). I was a jock so that kind of cut across all crowds but in terms of music I was a roper and I dressed as such.

Sophomore year of highschool myself and a friend got invited to our first highschool party. When we got out of my friend's mom's car you could hear the house absolutely vibrating. As we walked up the sidewalk, we paused and talked about leaving because we were afraid this was some kind of hazing trap. As we talked the house was almost jumping off of it's foundation and we could hear boom boom shout boom boom shout. Just then a junior that had just arrived brushed passed us saying "it's okay dudes just go on in". He opened the door just as Vince Neal screamed SHOUT AT THE DEVIL.

That night (what I can remember of it) was spent drinking and playing air guitar to Motley Crue, AC/DC and many others. I was suddenly a part of a new crowd.

Looking back I think what that night taught me was that I could truly be a part of multiple cliques all at once. Also, don't be too quick to judge others and make assumptions based on very little information.

My musical taste changed instantly, that night. And for the next 10 or so years I was in to hard rock/hair metal. My dad told me I would come back to country and he was right, I did in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Now, as an old cromudgen, listen to almost every kind of music, as long as it's not TODAY'S CRAP.

Would have posted in the other gen x sub but they would have banned me for hating on the younger gens.

I see them everywhere, mostly young men, wearing hoodies, zip up sweatshirts and sweatpants when I'm dying in shorts and short sleeves. Is this an evolutionary jump to prepare humans for warmer climate or are they just crazy?

Over the next year or so we are getting all of the above chain restaurants. Anyone have any insight on other restaurants or businesses coming to town?