A Meme. from
GeorgeSo here are the instructions:
Tell the world what you believe are the 10 Defining Moments of your Generation - and then tell the world what you believe are YOUR personal 10 Defining Moments. Then tell the world why you chose the moments you did.
The 10 Defining Moments of My Generation (In No Particular Order)
1. MTV- It's hard to say, but I don't think my generation would be who we are without music videos.. and MTV & VH1 really started the music television revolution. Now there are tons of channels with TONS of different genre's of videos.
2. TGIF- I remember sitting down with my family on Friday nights and being SO excited to watch the latest episodes of Full House, Mr Belvedere and if I was lucky Step by Step or Family Matters.. and I remember going to school on Monday, and talking about the episodes with everyone who actually got to see it. No Tivo to record, you had to figure out the VCR timer if you wanted to tape it and if you missed it you missed it..
3. Columbine- I remember how scary that was for me. Hearing about all the kids that were shot, hearing all the news stories on what happened, watching all the interviews and hearing the intimate details of what happened. I younger and a whole lot of naive, but I remember that was my wake up call that bad things can still happen, even in our modern times. I also remember the chain of threats and panic that swept the schools, ours included. We had a prayer chain around our senior park, and everyone in our school was united.. we wouldn't be scared away from our education.
4. September 11th - Another of those events that really rocked my world. I remember the panic that ensued after. I remember going to school and talking with friends who's parents were keeping their kids home. I remember watching the news all day in every single class and sitting with the very few kids that were still at school and talking to my teachers about what happened and everyone being in general shock.
5. Gas Prices- It's sad to say it but this is a defining moment in our generation because never in a million years did economists dream that gas prices could reach the prices they are at now. I distinctly remember my high school Econ teacher (Mr Thompson) telling us gas prices would hit a ceiling of four dollars, but they would surely never rise about that.. We've reached almost 5 dollars a gallon.. which severely effects everything from vacation to day to day living. SO many Californian's can't afford to drive to work and can't rely on our public transportation, which in some of the most populated areas is REALLY lacking.
6. Computers- Not just the Internet, not just PDA's or hand-helds or laptops, but even just a desktop. I'm amazed at how they've affected the way things are done in this generation. So many things are "paperless" and "web-based" that the need for so many inventions of the past are obsolete. A lot of jobs were lost to computers and so many people make their careers in computers, which was unheard of in past generations.
7. Going Green- So many Americans are joining the fight against global warming, and I've really seen the number of people in my generation who are genuinely interested in helping and recycling and taking notice of the problem increase.. not only a select few who in past generations would have been type-cast as weird or activist. Everyone is playing their part.
8. Downloading/ iPods- More and more technology are making amazing products of the past obsolete or "vintage" and I have a feeling actual CD's and even DVD's are fast becoming part of the record or 8-track type technology, cool to remember, cool to collect but not really practical. I mean, I'm amazed at how much is available for download. Stuff that you could previously find only in stores, I could most likley pirate or download from iTunes or Apple.com
9. Vote or Die- To me one of the biggest defining moments. I mean, it not only showed how important our votes are and how much of our generation wasn't a part of the political process, it showed us how much of an influence and how important celebrities are to our generation.. which leads me to my 10th...
10. Heath Ledger's Death- I was amazed and in shock when he died. I know there have been other deaths in my lifetime of amazing people like George Carlin and LeRoi Moore, but for some reason the death of Heath Ledger really hit my generation, and will go down as a big moment for a lot of us.
And now Mine. (in no order whatsoever)
1. TEC (Teens Encounter Christ)- I was 16 years old and had never experienced anything like it. It opened my eyes to so much and although it's been a constant struggle ever since, it's been an experience like no other and introduced me to some of my best friends and a community of people unlike any I've ever met, along with VDC.
2. My dad's heart attacks- I realized that I had to grow up and stop living in my little bubble if I wanted to to be treated like an adult. I also saw how my family protected me, more often than not, from the bad things in our lives because they didn't think I could handle it. It opened my eyes and showed me what an amazing family, extended and blood, I actually have, it also made my immediate family a whole lot closer.
3. My 22 birthday in SF- It was the BIGGEST deal to me. It was the first birthday EVER that I hadn't been with my family. I didn't go to dinner with them on my birthday, and it was the first time I went on such a long trip with just one other friend. I spent the weekend exploring the city and really growing up. It was only two years ago, but it was such a big moment for me.
4. St Andrew's Lutheran Church- Going to this church really changed not only my life, but my families. We had struggled with leaving Emanuel, mostly for my benefit and when I went away to college and CCOL, my family spent a lot of time searching for a new church home, and boy did they find it. Some of our best friends and closest relationships are with that church family. We've grown as a family and been able to share so much with the congregation and them sharing so much with us, but my real personal defining moment was when I joined the rejoice band. My family had all found their friends in the church and I was a little lost when I moved home.. but as soon as I joined the rejoice band I met
George who introduced me to so many amazing people including his family and amazing friends, who have all accepted me and shown me more love than I can imagine.
5. Getting Pregnant- Not the actual birth of my daughter, but the absolute personal struggle I went through when I found out, when I told a few people, when I decided what to do and when I finally told my friends and family. It was an incredibly humbling and scary and stressful situation. A really low point in my life.. which is sad because my daughter is such a blessing, but while I was pregnant I was ready to lose everything. I distinctly remember sitting on the bed in my dorm about to call my parents and tell them everything and being mentally ready for them to disown me. Scary to think what I would have lost.
6. The birth and life of Hailey Rose- An amazing transformation for me. I was no longer Meghan, but Mommy. I am still Meghan but now the mommy that comes with it just amazes me. She keeps me grounded, makes me want to be a better person and is bringing out at side of me I never knew I had. It's been a struggle, it's been hard, and I know it will continue to be hard, but every time I see her I can't help but smile.. even when she's peeling the paint off my walls (yes. she did that today)
7. The death of Cody (my dog)- Now I know it seems silly, but he was the absolute definition of my childhood. He was my dog for as long as I can remember. He protected me, he slept in my bed or next to it, he was always right there when I left and when I got back. He played with me, traveled with me and even broke out of our backyard and was found wandering the halls of our high school because he missed me! He died right before Hailey was born, and it really marked, for me, the ending of my childhood..
8. My first car- It wasn't my license that made me mobile, because when I got my license it was more of an "I should really do this before I graduate" rather than an "I need my license" I had friends who drove, older siblings and my parents (as a last resort of course) but I also lived in a pretty small town where I could walk or take the bus if I needed to, but when I went to college my freshman year and lived in a much larger city and realized I couldn't walk or roller blade anymore, it was time to get my act together and get a car. And boy did I. My "time-warp machine" a 96 Cherry red mustang. I still remember my parents surprising me with it at the dorms. They told me I was getting a red Kia, and my brother drives up in this mustang. I had no idea what to say and for weeks would walk out and wonder why I had keys to this red mustang.
9. Going to a University (CSUB), and living in the dorms- I can't believe how much I took for granted at first with how huge of a moment that freedom was for me. In hindsight I went a little crazy with the freedom, but for the most part It was just an absolutely amazing experience for me. It was the first time in my entire 17 years that I'd lived anywhere but my little house in La Habra and it was absolutely invigorating and terrifying. I still remember my first night in my dorm and how absolutely excited I was to be living somewhere on my own and not having to answer to anyone but myself. But with great freedom comes great responsibility and finding the balance between fun and class and bills got really hard for me, luckily I met Angel and Chris, who kept me on track and showed me how to live a successful dorm life, while still having tons of fun :)
10. Moving Home- After being out on my own for even those two years, I realized how much freedom and perks of having my own place I had taken for granted, the thought of moving back in with parents is never a pleasant one at almost 20, but I honestly could not have survived without their support. Or the support of my extended famiy, new and old friends. It was hard. REALLY hard for me to leave Bakersfield and the friends and family I have there, but I have found a balance and as much as I miss every single one of my friends there, I don't regret moving home one bit.
Geez. This was REALLY hard.. but like I said. I don't regret any of these defining moments or look back and wish things were different. Everything happens for a reason, from the biggest disasters of our generation to the death of a pet. It all defines who we are and it all affects us in different ways.
<3
