Yesterday I turned 24, and as I sit here I must say I don't feel any older. My father came to visit me, he took me, my brother, sister and boyfriend out to dinner. We celebrated my birthday and my father's birthday (today). It was a good time, sometimes in all the busyness and stress over student loans that has become my life I forget to sit down with my family and enjoy the life I have. Even in all the stress and rush they are still there, ever constant and strong.

Anyway, 24 isn't a bad age, but it isn't that great either. I'm really looking forward to my car insurance going down this time next year (sad that I think of that as joyous).

One of the topics that came up was what we have lived through. As I sit here remembering the conversation I ponder on the last 24 years of my existence on this great big planet I am amazed at the changes that I have seen in just my lifetime.

I remember when people were pitching a fit because gas was going to be $2 a gallon. (What I would do for gas to be that cheap now!)

I remember spending afternoons sitting outside with my grandfather before sun block was a necessity.

I remember watching music videos on MTV when Michael Jackson was still black.

I remember when Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were known as Michelle on Full House

And who could forget Alf!!

What about the outfits Madonna wore!

And when Titanic was the coolest thing on the screen. (I will admit it I saw the movie 7 times)

Or the Macarena!!!

Oklahoma Bombing and Timothy McVeigh,

Sept. 11, 2001,

Disney movies, before they were computer generated,

Before cell phones became the norm,

Michael J. Fox (Parkinson's Disease),

Montel Williams (Multiple Sclerosis),

Before computers became a necessity,

The first George Bush in the White House,

Bill Clinton getting caught,

Christopher Reeves,

My Little Ponies ,

The Columbine Shooting,

I remember Arnold Schwarzenegger before he was Governor,

Saddam Hussein invading Kuwait and the Gulf War,

The first O.J. Simpson trial,

JonBenet Ramsey,

Breast Cancer Awareness,

Atlanta Summer Olympics Games,

Salt Lake Winter Olympics Games,

Guys wearing pants that constantly fell to their ankles,

Body Piercing was just becoming popular,

Playing on the Atari and winning at Pong,

The Internet was still new,

The Spice Girls,

Boyz 2 Men,

Celine Dion,

Frasier,

Cheers,

MASH,

Schindler's List,

Power Rangers (the original),

The Beenie Baby Craze,

Married with Children,

Pee Wee Herman,

Step by Step,

Roseanne,

Cassette players (I still have some of these),

VHS (these too),

The Nanny,

Steve Urkel,

Tickle Me Elmo (the original),

Skip It,

Fur-bee (the original),

Jurassic Park,

Home Alone,

Push Pops,

Duck Tales,

Boy Bands,

Polly Pocket (the original),

Sailor Moon,

Rug Rats (the original),

Barney,

Buffy the Vampire Slayer,

Forrest Gump,

Y2K,

Princess Diana,

Mother Theresa, and

Regan and Nixon's funerals…

I sit here in amazement at all of the things that I have seen throughout my life, the rise and fall of TV shows, fashion trends, and icons. Granted some stuff I remember better than others, but they still happened. In some ways these events have made me what I am today. It makes me excited to see what the next 24 years have in store for me and my generation, that grew up on Chip and Dale, and Nickelodeon.