Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Growing Older Does Not Mean Growing Up

There are instances in life that occur that serve as a bit of a reality check. You aren't expecting them to happen, but then suddenly there you are, stuck in a moment of reflection.

This probably sounds like I am about to get all deep and meditative and not about to launch into a blog post about The Simpsons, but that is what this post is about. 

Yes, you read that right, The Simpsons.




Recently a cable channel ran the entire series of The Simpsons, in order, from start to finish, over the period of twelve days. I think it ended on Labor Day weekend.

Mr. McKay mentioned to me that they were doing this, and I think our DVR has a few episodes he recorded that he wanted to watch again. I have to say we watched more episodes during this marathon than I thought we would have.

But it was actually quite interesting to watch how the series evolved over the 25 years that it has been in production. (Homer actually changed from being kind of a dick in season one, to the lovable oaf he is now in current seasons.)

Being that we are both in our mid thirties- The Simpsons has been a mainstay of our pop culture lexicon since we even knew something like pop culture existed.

Fun fact, when The Simpsons debuted as a regular network show on Fox in 1989 I was one year younger than the middle child Lisa. I am now twenty four years older than her. I guess I can't really say I grew up with The Simpsons, because they never grew up.

This is all leading up to the ultimate reality check moment. It was drawing to the end of the marathon, I think it was the second to last episode they showed so it was an episode from last season.

Marge is complaining to Homer that they don't have any couple friends. He pretty much tells her that they tried to have friends, but everyone is weird, and besides who needs friends when they have each other?

At this point Mr. McKay turns and looks at me and says: "Wow, it's come full circle."

I'm all- what the heck are you talking about?

He goes, "When I was younger I used to identify with the kids on this show. Now I've reached a point where I identify with the parents."

We let that sink in for second. 

"Shit, we're old." That was my profound statement that I brought to the party.

We skipped the last episode and opted to eat ice cream instead. Which I managed to get all over myself and the shirt I was wearing (I still don't know how I achieved that.)

I guess what I am taking from this reality check moment is yeah- we got older. It was bound to happen I guess, but I don't think we have to worry that we are very grown up. I mean, after all, we are relating to cartoon characters.



11 comments:

  1. I love that. Mr. McKay's comment is perfect. I say immaturity keeps you young! It's my secret anyway. God, has it really been that long that it's been on? I was just teaching my kids the I.P. Freely joke they can play on people when they prank call them - courtesy of Bart Simpson. Wow though, it is kind of a quick reality check. I'm glad you stopped to eat ice cream rather than watching the final episode.

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    1. Are you seriously coaching your children on how to prank call?? Wait, do kids make phone calls anymore, I thought it was all texts!!

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  2. My recent pop culture age-based realisation was watching Breakfast Club with my daughter. First time I saw that movie, I was younger than the characters in it. Now my daughter is older than they are. How did that happen? It doesn't feel like enough actual time has elapsed for that to be possible.

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    1. Yeah, I am uncomfortably getting to that point of watching movies I used to love and then realizing how old they are... it's not cool. I will say that!

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  3. Everyone has those moments with TV shows or movies when you used to identify with the kids, and then years later you identify with the parents. I was enjoying an episode of MASH the other night--until I saw when it first aired--40 years ago and I'd watched it then. When I first saw it, the characters seemed old to me--now I'm older than they were.

    You know what next--when you realize that most of the elementary school teachers that you loved are probably dead.

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    1. Wow, Cara, thanks for closing out there on that bright note. You actually made me snort!
      All the teachers I loved in elementary school were super old, so they probably are already dead. And now I have that lovely little thought circling around...

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    2. I laughed so long and hard at Cara's last sentence and then your response to her. Thank you for that!

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  4. I love the Simpsons! It's funny, no matter how many times I see an episode there's always a tiny thing I haven't seen before.

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    1. It's surprisingly a really smart show, I have come to realize that as I have gotten older- I really didn't get it when I was younger.

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  5. It does feel very surreal at times how time has past. I usually think back to my parents at the ages my husband and I are and how I felt or what my perspective was of them at the time. I'll tell you one thing, there is nothing that makes you feel older than having a house full of teenagers. My daughter especially delights in pointing out every gray hair.

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    1. I have plenty of gray hairs and I don't even have kids! I don't know where they keep coming from.

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