1994

Most days 1994 doesn’t seem that long ago.

But it was. Really. It was 16 years ago. That’s slightly more than a decade and a half. It’s slightly more than half my life.

I’ve been watching “Party of Five,” a show that debuted in 1994, thanks to the way shows I watched then are on DVD now. Ah, technology …

Then a conversation about “All Dogs Go to Heaven,” a movie my sister kept on repeat most of her early childhood, led to a quick listing of movies I watched over and over again when I was younger … in no particular order …

Dirty Dancing
Splash
Flight of the Navigator
Funny Farm
Major League

Then, randomly, Amazon.com was offering a free — yes, FREE — download of Sister Hazel’s new digital collection. Oh, Sister Hazel, you take me back to high school, in a good way …

Anyway, so I just learned — Thanks, Wikipedia! — that Sister Hazel debuted in 1994 too. But “All for You” came a few years later, approximately the same year I graduated from high school and came to Murray State.

Now, I’m wondering what else happened in 1994 …

The Buffalo Bills lost their fourth straight Super Bowl. And I remember watching this at my house with my then-boyfriend Jonathan. We thought it was really great he got to hang out so late on a school night.

Kurt Cobain died. Oh, yes, my friend Elliott inspired us, somehow, to make Cobain the focus of an English class group project. I have no idea what the assignment was or how the lead singer of Nirvana was relevant.

O.J. led police on that chase in his white Bronco you may have seen on TV. Jonathan was at my house for this television entertainment as well.

There was crisis unrest in Iraq. Yeah, surprise, I know.

“Forest Gump” and “Shawshank Redemption” came out. I remember seeing at least “Forest Gump” in the theater. And I know I’ve watched “Shawshank Redemption” countless times since.

Oh, 1994, some moments with you feel like they happened just the other day. I know I’ve changed some, but I’m certain we’d still recognize each other. I haven’t forgotten about you, but I’m happy where I am, in case you were wondering.