Years Discussed in This Post: 1969, 1979, 2004, 2009

Back in late August 2004, on the original blue-and-white blog, I wrote this: "Yesterday was Lilly’s first day of first grade. It was also 25 years to the day after I flew from San Antonio to Nashville to begin college at Vanderbilt, so long ago that I flew on Braniff. Synchronicity or mere coincidence? (Coincidence, I think.)"

Today was Ann's first day in first grade, and it was 30 years to the day that I started at VU. Still probably a coincidence, but one that's appealing. Time to muse on the inevitable passage of time, etc. Which wouldn't be so bad if you could, now and then, relive the best parts of the past.

I don't mean merely remember it fondly, but actually go do it again. I'm not sure the 1979 transition from high school to college would count as a great moment anyway, and in fact the memory is dim. I remember getting rained on while going to wherever it was VU issued student IDs, so for the next four years I carried around a picture of myself with wet hair.

Speaking of living in the past, the other day I passed a magazine rack and noticed a special Time publication devoted to 1969. That kind of thing is, I believe, known in the publishing business as "cut-and-paste for nostalgic suckers." Sure, it was an eventful year, especially because of the Moon landing. But name a year in the last few centuries that wasn't eventful. I also wondered: where's 1979? You can't tell me it wasn't exceptionally eventful, too, personal considerations aside. All the same, I won't buy it even if Time produces one.

Back to the present. Ann was enthusiastic to go this morning. Lilly, who started sixth grade, wasn't exactly enthusiastic, but I knew she was looking forward to seeing her friends on a daily basis.

The pic of Ann and her backpack wasn't this morning, but it pretty much sums up her mood today. Tinker Bell, incidentally, is the centerpiece of a full-court marketing press by Disney these days. A whole world of fairies has been dreamed up to go with her, and she even received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this year.