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A while ago I turned 40. I didn’t think much of it at the time, didn’t want nor expect much attention around it. It just came and went I guess, like a Monday morning in November. I didn’t need it, didn’t want it, but it came anyway. Or sort of. It’s hard to explain, but a few months in to it, though, I start to look back and reflect on the memories. Not intentionally. I usually don’t do that. Rather it’s the little things that trigger them. A song I hear on the radio, a scent I pick up on the subway or a movie I stumble on (?) browsing through Netflix.

Why is it an evening of peace and quiet with my iPad – too often than not – nowadays turns into a walk down Memory Lane? Netflix suggest titles for me like ‘The Breakfast Club’ (great movie by the way, so they’re not off the spot in any way). Spotify hints loud and clear that I just might be interested in U2 or Simple Minds (how many times didn’t I lip sync to “Don’t you (forget about me)” on the dance floor?). Netflix knows it. Spotify knows it. It’s just that I don’t. Yet. I’m getting old.

The other day I tried to explain, in the car, to my seven year old daughter that Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” is in fact a great song and that there was no way in h-ll I would change the station for some Eric Saade song. Just when did Bon Jovi get off the charts anyway?

Then it occurred to me. Never thought of it before. My daughter has no clue who Jon Bon Jovi is. Has never heard of Simple Minds. Doesn’t know (!) who Bono is. Further, has no idea what a cassette tape is (Walkman, for cryin’ out loud!), will probably never appreciate the magic of ‘auto-reverse’ and can scream “again, daddy!” when a good movie (Disney, most likely) comes to an end on linear TV, but will probably instantly know what to do with a 1984 Nintendo controller. I love her, but I guess that’s obvious. If she only knew how long we had to wait for ‘Summer Games’ to load on a C64…

So do I wanna go back, say to 1985? Nope. Not for a second. Been there, done that, got the f-ckin’ T-shirt. I ain’t going back. Never. Never look back. No regrets. Always look forward. The future is (still) so bright I gotta wear shades. And that’s the whole point of life isn’t it? You can never go back…