As a 90s baby, I often reminisce about my childhood. Growing up during the birth of a new millennium, I was exposed to a melting pot of old trends and new technologies. While I was the kid that tuned into weekly episodes of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, I was also the kid that listened to 80s music during my free time. From the beginning, I was an old soul.
There was a particular time when my dad was telling stories about his upbringing. Being the curious kid that I was, I recall asking him what his fondest memory was when he was my age (I was 8 or 9 at the time). His response was that he loved playing street hockey with his buddies every day after school. This response completely flipped my perspective on life. Suddenly, I was imagining myself playing street hockey with my own friends. This was a far cry from the reality of Nintendo, Silly Bandz, and Webkinz that filled my world.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved all of the modern nuances of my childhood; however, I was never able to fully share the same interests as my peers. Even as a teenager and (now) into my 20s, I can’t help but feel a little bit of nostalgia for the past– no wonder I’m a history major! While I don’t seriously long to live in a different era, I do often think about what it would be like. I wonder if the 50s would be like Grease, or if the 19th century would be a page out of Little Women– probably not, but it’s fun to imagine. In many ways, I’m the textbook definition of a millennial: I scroll through Instagram more frequently than I should, I could spend hours binge-watching Netflix shows, and I love the convenience of Uber Eats. There are, however, some ways that I stand out: I would choose an old-school date over a Tinder hook-up, a lot of my favourite music is from before I was born, and I own a few too many classic paperback books. While I may feel a greater connection to the past than others my age, this is not uncommon. In fact, my best friend and many other people in my life are fellow old souls– you really do attract people that are similar to yourself.
Despite having old-soul tendencies, I’m beyond proud to call myself a millennial. We are the most open-minded, diverse and progressive generation in history. We proudly embrace the equality of all human beings, no matter their gender, race, sexuality or any other factor. We are a generation based in love– and I think that’s pretty cool.