The Aughts: A decade in review

Was it a good decade? A bad decade? Just a decade? I'm hearing a lot of complaints from friends and family, but is this just backlash from super-crappy 2009 fallout? Too soon to say, perhaps.

I'm lucky – I was born in 1970, which means a decade can be measured and debated as a whole unit. For instance, I was a teenager in the eighties. I was a nineties Gen X'er in my 20's. And now, I've been a thirty-something in the Aughts. It's all very tidy.

Being in your thirties was (is, until August) great. It's a fantastic time: you're (usually) mature enough to appreciate your life and have sufficient disposable income to enjoy it. (It helps that I never had kids.) It's also the first time I ever felt like, wow – I KNOW stuff. I'm knowledgeable and confident enough to contribute to the universe based on my intelligence and experience. Go me!

I find that as I approach the big four-oh, I'm more likely to look back and do the “if I knew back then what I know now” game. The internet generation of today can't fathom the trials of my youth:
- Learning to type on a manual typewriter
- Information search: if you wanted to know something you had to go to the library, read a newspaper or watch the news.
- Fearing impending nuclear war (see: Rocky IV and Red Dawn)

But looking at a decade as measure of change is always interesting to me, specifically for this decade. What was I doing then? What am I doing now? Sticking to the purely frivolous (because let's start the new year on a lighter note), here's a decade in review:

Music
What was I listening to in 2000?: A pretty eclectic range. Everything was game except Jazz and Country. CD's angered me – if a band didn't have at least 3 songs I liked on their album, I wouldn't buy it. Consequently, my music collection consisted of 80's and 90's pop and alternative rock and I had a pocket radio and headphones that I'd wear on the bus.

In 2009: Pretty much the same musical tastes but thanks to the internet, I haven't bought a CD in years. I despise iPod products (not the device, but the software that goes with it). I have a cheap Copy MP3 Player that, on any given day, has the weirdest mix of genres, in the universe.
First 5 songs currently on my player: F*** You, (Lily Allen), Spirit in the Sky (Dr. And the Medics), Til I Collapse (Eminem), Poker Face (Lady Gaga), The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot).

Computers
What was I using in 2000: I have absolutely no idea – it was purchased and set up by my (now) ex. It was a PC and I was glued to it nightly to feed my MSN Messaging addiction. I planned my entire 2000 Vegas wedding using the Internet. The ceremony was webcast so that my elderly grandparents could watch - totally cutting edge!
Computer In 2009: I have absolutely no idea – it was purchased and set up by my boyfriend, Doug. It's a PC and I'm glued to it day and night to feed my addiction to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon and my blogs.

Games
In 2000: Loved me some FreeCell. Sony PlayStation: Resident Evil, Parasite Eve. PC game of choice: Diablo!
In 2009: World of Warcraft still blows my mind. We have an Xbox 360 which, if it weren't for Doug, I would use as a coaster I would love to get a Wii, but I'm so competitive and Doug's so naturally good at video games, I'm afraid it would ruin our relationship.

Cellphones
In 2000: Didn't have one. I thought they were intrusive and people who took calls while they were with real, live people were obnoxious and rude.
In 2009: I have Nokia slider phone that looks like a box of Tic Tacs and I'm desperate for a Smartphone of my very own. However I find that Texters and Smartphone users who diddle with their devices while they were with real, live people are obnoxious and rude.

Television
In 2000 I owned: A 32” Goldstar inherited from my parents.
In 2009 I have: A 42” LCD flatscreen with home theatre.

2000 shows I watched: Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, Angel. I would not make plans outside the house during these time slots. I owned a ton of VHS tapes and rented more from Blockbuster.
2009 shows: I don't really watch TV anymore. I've downloaded or watched on the internet the following shows: Glee, The Vampire Diaries, The Big Bang Theory, America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, Canada's Worst Driver. I haven't been to a video store in years. I keep everything on my hard drive and transport stuff via USB.

Books
In 2000 I read: I'm too embarrassed to tell you. But I read a lot.
In 2009 I read: See above. But I hope they sort out E-readers soon (as per my previous post).

So, what does it mean? What have I learned?

Eh. I'm not going to ramble on here about the impact the internet, mobility or social media has had on my life. Isn't that kind of obvious to us all by now?

I will say: Thanks, two-thousandses. We had our ups and downs and I'm still not speaking to 2009, but overall it was a lot of fun. I will give your regards to the... what the heck are we calling THIS decade???