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Helen's reaction to being too young to be a grandma

posted 12 years ago by EightiesKid
7 replies | jump to latest

"Grandmas are supposed to be old and bake cakes. I was at Woodstock!"

I can definitely understand why she was so shell-shocked about Julie having a baby with Tod. Aside from Woodstock being only 20 years ago at the time in 1989, the sixties was probably THE wildest and most rebellious generation, with all the changes in society, politics, and pop culture. I'm sure it seemed weird enough for Boomers like her to be parents of teens at the time, much less grandparents!

Teen pregnancies have been around forever, but I'm 30 and it just seems like "my generation" (born late 70s to mid 80s) usually had traditional aged parents maybe 30 years older than us. Now I'm always hearing about 14 year olds with 32 year old moms, which freaks me out and makes me feel old. I figure junior high kids' parents should be like 45 instead!

I get mad when somebody calls a 35/40 year old woman a "grandma", especially since many of them are still really pretty/sexy, and lots are still fun and youthful. Even as a kid I felt that way too since my older grandma was your stereotypical white-haired, retired, sweet old lady baking cakes and stuff.

Point being, I wonder if that line lost some of its relevance today because of all the teen parents? An identical situation with someone Julie's age (around 42 now) in a movie probably wouldn't be such a big deal!

[–] chrissyko66 12 years ago

Maybe. But the word "gramma" still reminds me of a white haired old lady knitting.

All the "grammas" I know don't look like that. I think in today's society there are so many cosmetic products and "not your mothers jeans" out there that women today are using and these grammas I know are lookin good lol

[–] EightiesKid 12 years ago

That's true, lol! Even the actual traditional grandma aged ladies (say 65) don't really "seem old" the way they used to, like if they smoke weed or listen to harder rock music. They're just like young people who simply got old/older.

[–] Kuato_and_George 12 years ago

You're probably right, which is kind of sad.

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[–] nutsberryfarm 11 years ago

what do they say now?...maybe: 'i was at bonnaroo!'

'It's time for the human race to enter the solar system.'-Dan Quayle

[–] marvelass 10 years ago

Well, there were too more Woodstocks in 1994 (20 years ago) and 1999 (15 years ago), so the line could still work today.

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[–] poet515 10 years ago

YES! My Husband was at Woodstock 99 and if we ever become grandparents, I'm sure that line might be thrown out there!

[–] EightiesKid 10 years ago

True I forgot about the two Woodstocks in the 90s lol, but they didn't have the immediate household name cultural recognition that the original one does. I bet lots of today's kids may know about the 1969 one but not the later ones!

I just mean though, it angers me to see so many former 80s-90s teens as parents of today's youth. I'm only 32, I feel like I should be a big brother/older cousin type to a teenager today, I feel way too youthful and young to be like their dad or an adult authority figure. Maybe my generation was just sexing it up in the 90s and early 2000s instead of waiting until they were over 25/over 30 like most Baby Boomers like our parents did.

But anyway, I think that's why the culture shock of something like this wouldn't really fly today. Becoming a 45 year old grandma, while obviously on the young side, isn't unusual. Someone Julie's age having a 25 year old "kid" could easily already have their own by now.