Classic parental line from my mother, upon learning that I was, in fact, dating another girl: "I know your father and I raised you to make up your own mind about things, but I didn't know you'd take us that seriously!"
Fortunately, my mother got over her momentary dismay, as while the particulars of my life may not be the comfortable standards she was raised to expect, the broader view shows that I hold many of the same core values dear (learning, teaching, creativity, competence, loyalty, love[1], appreciation of beauty), and since I look to be sharing them with those around me and passing them on to the children whose lives I touch, my mother's happy with the children she raised.
I came out as a New Aquarian. I noticed that this survey had a function to rate how well you felt the survey had described you. I suppose I was at least 60% summed up by their description (but not some of the heroes, most of whom I'd never heard of...), which is at least halfway accurate, as far as online survey type things go. I am technically part of Generation X, I suppose, being born in 1980.
The events are perhaps out of order, as my historical memory for events external to me is rather foggy, but...
Major events during my lifetime that stand out to me:
AIDS. (I was perhaps four, and wondered why "aids" was such a problem, since the radio talked all the time about giving aid to other contries, to help them, and aids was more than one aid... right?)
Challenger. (Seven, and at Grandma's. All the grown ups were trying not to cry. They said that this time, there had been a teacher on the space shuttle, because it was so safe.)
Tienaman Square. (On my birthday, making sure I'd always remember)
The involvement of the US in the Gulf War (marked the beginning of my journal)
The fall of the Berlin Wall and dissolution of the USSR, just after I'd gotten used to not calling it Russia.
AIDS. (Again. Still.)
The concept of "ethnic cleansing", long-running gang wars, and terrorism becoming household words, long-standing worries, rather than shocking atrocities.
The dissolution of USAdians' faith in the morals of elected officials. (Bill Clinton)
Government changeover on island China.
Space Station Mir.
Re-release of Star Wars Trilogy.
Insane lunatics at Columbine High School, USA. The way such events have gotten more familiar, less shocking.
Attacks on Twin Towers & Pentagon. (On my roommate's son's birthday. He didn't get much of a celebration this year.)
Personal loss of faith in Steady Freddie Bush.
These are the events of my generation.
[1]It is my personal belief that many advocates of "family" as a value rather than a social structure would, if pressed, advocate loyalty and love. The problem with pushing "family" rather than "loyalty and love" is that it assigns those attributes to that particular social structure, regardless of whether that's the way it works in practice or not for all instances, rather than working on a case-by-case basis, which is the only practical thing to do when dealing with a species as interesting and complex as the human.
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