It's the Age of Innocence

     There have been times when I've wished I grew up in the 60s, the 20s, and especially the 90s.  I read books, watch shows, and learn about those decades; especially the 90s.  But, when I stepped back and looked at Beverly Hills 90210 or Saved by the Bell I realized something: it's all in my head.  Their lives seem like so much fun.  Back in a time when dating was a process that involved a getting picked up at the door, a movie (possibly dinner beforehand) and maybe, just maybe, a little kiss goodnight.  A time when clothing didn't have to be revealing to be considered good-looking.  A time when good, clean fun was the only type of fun there was.  If only that was the case.  It's not about when they grew up, because I'm sure that a few decades down the line there will be teenagers wishing they had grown up at the turn of the millennium.  Life can always seem innocent if that's the way you want it to be.  The truth is, the age of innocence is not when you're a little kid, it isn't a certain decade either.  The age of innocence is the time period when someone forgets all the hardships and pointless fights that have happened, it's that rare moment (after you've grown up a bit a realized that life isn't always rainbows and butterflies) when you flash back and see your life as the decade you want to be in, see it as the best time in the world.  We learn from the mistakes and the awesomeness of the times before us to shape a unique and thrilling world of our own.  It's not really an era, it's more of a mentality.