Quick: how old will you be in the year 2000?
I know, I know...that was seven years ago. But I knew since I was in grade school how old I would be in that milestone year. Everyone in my class did, probably everyone in my generation did. We all learned it in math class as part of addition and subtraction lessons. And it was an easy number too, for my class (no, I won't tell you what it was).
2000 was such a grand, turning point of a year, it seemed back then. When you're a kid you really do believe there will be flying cars and monorails in your future (just like Disneyland!).
The reason I mention this is that I was thinking about end of the year stuff as I usually do in December and beginning to wrap my head around the year 2008. And I remembered that 2000 thing from when I was a kid. Now, I wonder, what sort of milestone year is there for children? 2010? 2020?
It was kind of cool to have the turn of the century looming ahead of us. It felt like a year that held so much promise which was something really important to kids of the 70s who were growing up with the tail end of Watergate and a disgraced president, sky high gas prices and rationing (remember odd/even days at the gas stations?) and an unstable economy.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Anyway, the title of this post brings me back to television: to Conan O'Brien's "In the year 2000..." bit he used to do with Andy Richter. Ah, late night. When will you return, my old friend?
Your Hollywood connection,
Leigh
