Thank God itΒ΄s #NinetiesFriday.
Last week, I tried to get confirmation on my theory. The theory that actually very little has changed since 1990.
I think I did a great job of getting some data-driven insights on overproduction, that we do worse nowadays when it comes to renewable energy, but that we did erase a lot of poverty from this planet.
Well, that was last week, let's get back to the Β΄90s again.
Back To The Nineties
Every week when I sit down I check my little list with ideas for this post. Sometimes I have a few sometimes none. And every week I think what if?
What if one day I have no memories left?
It was a Crazy, Sexy, Cool decade for me in which some of the most interesting changes took place.
So What Really Changed?
Last week I looked at what changed in the world around me, but today I will try to dig a little deeper.
I will try to take a long hard look at myself. Myself from back then and myself from today.
Did I change a lot?
The Physical Is Important
DonΒ΄t believe the hype when they say the physical is not important. Trust me it is.
Very few people look beyond the physical in those first very important 7 seconds.
Studies say that only 7-10% of people prioritize non-physical factors (such as personality, voice, and mannerisms) over physical appearance right from the start.
Just saying....
No, I am kidding, I have a reason to bring that up.
The physical is simply the thing we notice first and probably mostly if we were true #90sKIDS.
I wasnΒ΄t a bad-looking kid I guess, I had my share of girlfriends in the Β΄90s. Lost my virginity at quite an early age, probably because I was ready for the experience, and secondly back then we did it better, or well earlier.
Over the recent decades, there has been a noticeable trend of teens delaying having intercourse in many countries, especially in the United States and parts of Europe.
And I donΒ΄t get it.
They say itΒ΄s because of cultural shifts, kids emphasizing personal development, academic focus, and career goals before relationships.
And increased use of technology such as social media, which has changed how young people socialize and form relationships.
I mean we had to go out and hunt for a girl, and physically impress her in real life by being funny and not too bad-looking.
Nowadays you have all these apps, you can easily connect with anyone and that is why you wait?
I mean looking back I sometimes wonder if I should have waited, but hell I was curious AF.
It was a wonderful experience at 13. But if my boy would have asked: "Dad, when should I have sex?"
I would have told him when you think you are truly in love for the first time.
That is one of the things I learned getting older. I did it for the kick, I liked my sort of girlfriend and our weird relationship lasted for over a year. But were we ever truly in love?
On the other hand, if I had waited I would not have had sex in the nineties, or wait yes I would in 1998 or 1999.
And she looked a little like this:
Or this when we went to a Therion or Cradle concert:
But I would have been in my twenties if I waited till I truly fell in love.
Because looking back at those Nineties it was not about love it was mainly about me being so horny..
Back To The Physical
But I drifted as we talked about the physical changes.
I guess I am one of the lucky ones. Just last weekend a handsome mid-thirty-year-old guy (that matters because you compare others to yourself) estimated me at something mid-thirties but definitely not above 39.
It probably helps that I have the sides shaved very short showing less grey hairs those first weeks into a fresh haircut. Then again, I always looked a bit younger and so did my Dad.
Not in my teens, but I aged slower than most when I hit the twenties it seems.
They often take of 10 years when guessing, but trust me I know that one day that blessing will fade....but I do enjoy it while it lasts.
The thing is that is the outside only, and it is definitely not the same as back in the nineties.
Next to the grey hairs, working an office job turned me from skinny to normal, and probably is causing my lower back to hurt frequently.
I still have all my hair, no bald spot yet, and no receding hairline either.
But I cut the long hair I had in the nineties when I went corporate.
Then I let it grow back twice because F corporate.
Well, I guess we all have those physical changes, and a growing inability to sleep in late. And when I look around I think I am still one of the lucky ones.
Corporate
That is the biggest change, and I will not say one
In my nineties, I was a long-haired weed-smoking, acid-tripper, on a Honda MT5, that got kicked out of school.
I was the kid that should not end up in corporate, or is that the kind of kid that would end up in corporate?
Now when I say corporate itΒ΄s not as bad as it sounds.
But I do work for a huge international Payroll Company. or at least that is what they think and pay me for.
Thinking back I donΒ΄t think I ever thought about what type of work I would do. I envisioned myself as a writer. And well I am, sort of.
The job is to pay the bills that writing can not pay yet. And the fun thing, I get paid to talk, in school in the nineties I was told I talk too much. Now I talk half of my working hours.
So the talking did not change, except that they now pay me for it.
I never planned to have a career, and I am not sure if I have one now.
I took a job because I ran out of money and in the 13 years I am with this company I tripled my gross salary, but is that a career?
I honestly donΒ΄t know, I think if you don't plan for it...it does not count.
What I do see are similarities
Back in the Nineties I had a plan, I knew what jobs I wanted I wanted to work in CoffeeShop the Dutch kind where they sell more than just coffee and I wanted to be a DJ and work in my favorite club.
A lot of Kids wanted to work in that club, and I donΒ΄t know what got me in but it must have been determination. Once in, I stayed for 7 years till I moved to Spain.
I was pretty loyal back then and I am still loyal now.
I donΒ΄t do a career.
I work to enjoy myself.
Even now looking ahead I plan a different future than this corporate job, but still, the main goal is to enjoy myself while working.
What Did Change?
I think the biggest change next to the few wrinkles and grey hairs is my mindset.
They say young folks are more open-minded, I say F that...or maybe that does not apply to me.
Back in my nineties I really did not give a flying drop of diarrhea about politics and I still donΒ΄t.
But I do notice that I am able to understand all three sides to every story a lot better nowadays. And after understanding I can even agree with myself that the truth probably floats somewhere in outer space.
I learned to see that the people around me are very much limited by the framework in which they reside.
Personally, I tried to let go of any framework driving an opinion. As opinions are so overrated and that is probably the bottom line.
Bikini Bottom Line
I used to be an annoying opinionated little F back in the Nineties, thinking I had it all figured out before my life even truly started.
Now thirty years later everyone loveees to have an opinion.
They want to have an opinion about everything....
I was so hip setting this trend, and now I hope I am hip moving away from having opinions.
Opinions are worthless, it does not matter what you think.
Nobody really cares what you consider right, wrong, or acceptable.
The world moved on, you can find a confirmation of your self-serving bias everywhere nowadays.
Hence there is no more value since even the weirdest of GodΒ΄s creatures can find someone to agree with them online.
Time for the world to move on
How does my mind work without opinions?
It is kind of simple, I rely a lot on reading between the lines, connecting the dots, and placing those dots in a big picture while setting obtainable goals for myself that are not depending on other people's opinions or global directions.
My parents who are soon to be leaving this place are truly worrying about Russia invading other countries when the win the Ukraine.
Who cares?
If they do it was theirs in the Nineties, and now that itΒ΄s ours 30 years later.
Should I spend time forming an opinion about who I want to own that part of the world?
I know one thing, itΒ΄s not me.
Another of their opinionated examples:
Trump can not become president, heΒ΄s crazy...you might have another civil war.
Hell yeah if that is what the people want that is what the people get.
And TBH what choice does the US truly have?
Harris or Trump, talking about a rock and a hard place.
For me itΒ΄s clear after looking at thousands of years of history; it has never been as good as these past 30 years, and the long-term trendline has always gone up so far.
Maybe Climate Change will end it....
Again so what?
How many species have not gone extinct in the last million years? What makes us so special?
Ik know one thing, I have detached myself globally and dropped the need to have an opinion. History will go its course no matter what I think about it.
My focus nowadays is on the things I can control, and where I can make a direct difference.
Things close to me.
People close to me.
This whole globalization is great for multinationals but it has a reversed impact on my behavior.
It shows me that deep down itΒ΄s a small world after all. 
Okay word counter says that I lost your attention about 900 words ago so I will look back at the changes in my Writing / My Taste in Music next week but so far...except for the physical..... I think I am still the same annoying piece of shit I was 35 Years ago.
Thank goodness you made it till the end Pees, Love and I am out of here!
#NinetiesFriday was brought to you by My 90s Rant
WTF do I do on #NinetiesFriday?
Well, don't do what I do because that would be copy/pasta!
But some ideas are music, movies, television, sports, or really anything Nineties related.
I assume movie, TV, or music topic reviews or talk will be most common, but you could also talk about a sports memory or something else.
Think the Pop Culture of the times, but it would be great to hear about little known and interesting bands or entertainment items. Donβt forget to use tag #NinetiesFriday
@geneeverett will give 3 basic income units to a winning random post every week that uses the #NinetiesFriday tag. Also @thebighigg has jumped in to match for 6 total weekly prizes! If anyone else wants to sponsor with 1 unit let me know or just send it if you donβt wanna commit to weekly π
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