8-track & Beta

I constantly joke that my parents are the only people who still have a Beta, VHS and DVD player stacked neatly on top of the other, each plugged in with the accurate time displayed. And on a separate shelf resides the plugged in 8-track player. Whenever I visit I get on my when-are-you-going-to-donate horse and ultimately get kicked off for lack of compassion toward the museum pieces.

Now I must swallow my attitude because I came to appreciate their “living museum” this weekend.

A childhood friend of mine turned 36 Friday and I joined her for dinner with four of her friends, two couples, at a very nice restaurant on the peninsula. The couples were in their mid-late 40s and the topic of 8-tracks came up. This was my first time meeting everyone and one gentleman turned to me, without knowing my age, and said “You’re too young to remember 8-tracks, yes?”

And glowing with pride that I did know, I replied, “Actually, my parents still have a working 8-track player and use it from time-to-time.”

From that point on, I was in with everyone despite being the youngest at 28. It was a wonderful evening filled with non-stop conversation and wine, and all of us plan on doing it again soon.

The same gentleman turned to me at the end of the evening and said, "You must have cool parents."

"Yes, I sure do."