Do you think 2000 was a long time ago?

[MO6]

If I was to think back to 2020 (so 5 years ago), I could mentally comprehend that 5 years had passed. This is as I can think (from a British perspective) of Covid; then the 2020 US election; then Prince Philip’s death; then the Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan; then the Boris Johnson resignation; then the Platinum Jubilee; then the Queen’s death/Liz Truss resignation; then King Charles’ coronation; then the 7th October attack against Israel; then the 2024 UK election; then the 2024 US election; and now 2025 as all one continuum of events. Yes, typing out all of these major events may make it seem like there were so many, but it honestly feels all so connected like they are one after the other and so makes the five years feel shorter.

I am young, though, so five years for me is a lot.

But, if as someone who is older, you were to explain how you feel when you think of the past and how time has passed to get to the present, how would you explain it? By this I mean, people often jokingly say that “time has flown by”, but how true is this?

For instance, think of the year 2000. Would you honestly think that the year 2000, to you, felt like “yesterday”, meaning you actually believe it was so short a time ago. Or, would you recognise that 25 years is a long time and would feel like 2000 was a long time ago, but by using the continuum of events I described above be able to sort of link all of these major events in the world (and in your personal life together), to make it feel like they all happened one after another and 2025 has suddenly crept up on you rather than having taken ages to come about?

I recently watched the opening episode of Ashes to Ashes.

If you want to know what to know/remember the 1980s just watch this. It's exactly as I remember it.
What a rush!

I'm 40 now, and definitely becoming more aware of the passage of time. Things can seem like a long time ago, and no time ago, at the same time.
I recently watched the Spice Girls movie for the first time in decades. I feel like that came out in the late 90s? It felt very nostalgic to me, and took me RIGHT back to my teenage years, feeling very relevant and very dated at the same time.

I work with a lot of young adults in their late teens and early 20s. And it consistently surprises me that they weren't even alive during 9/11. I remember it so clearly and intensely. Whereas to them it's just something from the history books. If you mention Princess Diana, they sort of know who you mean... But many are also like, "...who...?" They don't know where she fitted in.

In personal history, my dad died the same day as a dear friends daughter was born. Whenever I see pictures of this girl, I'm reminded how much time has passed since he died. She's a fully functioning 8yo with a life. I admit I find that quite hard.

Much better times.
If only I had a flux capacitor to strap on to my mobility scooter.

If I think back to year 2000 and then think forward 25 years, I will likely be dead in that timespan

I’m still expect people born in the 90s to be at school. 2000 was only a few years ago.

2000 does feel a long time ago. I was pregnant with dd1 who’s now 24. 3 more kids, house moves, bereavements etc make it feel long as so much happened in that space of time.

I agree that the 90s were ten years ago. I was 24 in the year 2000. I was paid a FORTUNE to be on call in my IT job in case of the millennium bug, but hedged my bets and went to a party and got blazing drunk. To me it doesn't feel very long since Diana or the queen mother died. Especially the queen mother who I'd say has been gone about 3 years.

Thanks to a pp I have just realised that I am around the same age now as my parents would have been then.

I’m 58, the 80’s were logically a long time ago, when I see TV programmes from then they look old fashioned, but my memories are fresh in my mind and seem like they were yesterday, in my memories I don’t see the fashions or the news stories of the time, I see the story of my life and that comes with emotion which are the exact same now. I think that’s a conundrum we all deal with.