2024-11-14 Roofs on time

In the late 20th century, people were optimistic about the future. “2000” sounded magical. People made science fiction and music videos with computer graphics. Now, in the early 21st, we are afraid of the future and miss the 1990s.

The year 2000 was like a roof. It created a box to be filled. Now, it is at most some kind of ground leaving our feet as we propel ourselves away, riding a frontier into the scary unknown.

I have felt similarly about my youth. My graduation year was like a roof that delayed all worry. Afterwards, I felt like you can when you look at the stars: if it were not for gravity, you could “fall” into space.

=> Sed vitae discimus

And so the arbitrary number of the year can affect the collective psyche: Fin de siècle.

=> The color of your curtains

it’s 1900 and the times are going to change

— Bill Wurtz, “and the day goes on”