What Era Do You Feel You Belong?

Do you feel you were born in the wrong decade? Is there a persistent feeling that the era you live in is not the one you most identify? When reading about a different time period, do certain things resonate? Do you long for a time long ago... or not yet here? When you think of the ideal time period to live, when is it? These are the questions I thought about yesterday when I shoveled endless amounts of snow onto mountains of snow from previous storms. Take a moment to read and give your answer to the question, what era do you feel you belong?

I used to think I was misplaced in the generation I was born. My thoughts, ideas, and perspective seemed far off from those of my peers. I'd fantasize what life for me would have been like in the 1950s, married, raising children, staying home, and living an idyllic life. In fact, I have been so completely fortunate to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, leaving a career to do just that. I still wear dresses and, yes, have even vacuumed in my pearls! But, the longer I'm on this planet the more I learn, about it and myself. I now know how truly fortunate I am to live in this time period. The 1950s may have seemed like an ideal time in our country, but when I look how far we've come technologically, emotionally, and socially, I'm elated that I'm from "now".

Yes, I am a stay-at-home wife and mother, but I did have a career, one that I could go back to at any time. And, not only that, I am embarking on another career, from home, while raising my family and keeping house. I can do that from my office chair on a thing called a computer. My writings can be read by hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people worldwide (or, at least tens of people!). I can write about social issues without the fear of becoming a social outcast. My husband is my partner and we are a team. There is no distinction of bread winner vs. stay-at-home, and I'm fortunate, again, that he knows how very hard I work and contribute to our family. I have a state-of-the-art washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, microwave, and hair dryer cutting down the time I do my chores considerably. I can buy pre-packaged foods at the grocery and not have to make everything we eat from scratch! Even my salad comes pre-washed and  ready-to-eat in a bag! I don't have to sit at home waiting to see if the nurse from school calls to have me pick my sick child up, because the school has my cell phone number and I am "reachable". Whatever my interest there is a cable station on television to feed it and when I tire of that I can listen to any of my favorite songs on my iPod. Meanwhile, I can 'surf the 'Net while my children watch a DVD or stream something from Netflix on their Wii. I know how to drive and have a car to get me and my three children around in comfort. And, because I do not wish to have more children, there are endless choices for me to employ to ensure I won't have more! And they are very reliable! Are there problems in my era? Absolutely. But every era had problems and every one will, it's just part of life. I wish terrorism didn't exist, children wore their pants to cover their bums, and authority was respected more. I wish racism, religious wars/persecution, and hate crimes ceased to exist. But these problems, ageless and universal on our planet, do exist. Still, I believe this era is more enlightened, knowledgeable, and forward-thinking than any that came before. From annihilation of disease, global health initiatives, and relief missions, to our ever-smaller world, this is the time I feel is best. But perhaps we all feel a kinship to the era in which we live, even when we think that another age would have suited us better.

What say you? Do you feel you belong in a different era? Which one and why? Play along, ice is treacherous so you don't need to be going anywhere. Take a moment to tell about the era you belong!