Payphones and Y2K

I was thinking again today about the huge milestones in my life.  You know... not just MY milestones, but the milestones of the world, that I've lived through.  There were 80s things of course, but those things I barely remember.  Like earthquakes, and the Lakers winning lots of basketball games.  Weirdly I remember walking up the front lawn of my parents' house and having someone tell me that Magic Johnson was HIV positive.  That was shocking!  I don't even know what that sticks out in my head.

Oh.  I just thought of something.  Guess what?  In high school... Let's just make it clear that I graduated high school in 1999.  That, right there, is another story.  That whole Y2K thing.  Yes.  Everyone did think our computer system, and with it the world, would crash.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  ... In high school I did not have a cell phone.  True story.  I remember having to call my my parents after practice (tennis, basketball, softball) ... and sometimes after Friday night football games from a payphone.  Yes, a payphone!!!!!  Are payphones even around anymore now?  They are very rare. That's for sure.  Even when typing, the word payphone is not a word.  Maybe it should be pay phone.  But... that's not the point.  The point is, I didn't have a cell phone.  And when I did get a cell phone, my freshman year of college, my younger sister and I had to share it.  Whoever got to drive the car, got the cell phone.  It was more of a safety thing.  Now, if I forget my phone, or need to turn it off on a flight I go a little bit crazy.  It's irrational.  I know.

Okay, let's get back to Y2K.  Where was I on the eve of the turn of the century?  When everyone thought our virtual infrastructure would crumble?  I was sleeping on the street in Pasadena, CA.  I don't even know why we thought this was a good idea.  I mean, I know why we went.  A whole bunch of us went to camp out for the Rose Parade.  As it approached midnight, cars were driving by throwing tortillas.  Yeah, tortillas are the thing to throw.   They don't make a mess.  Birds will eat them.  AND, boy do they fly.  

It was crazy.  I have no idea what we were thinking.  It was scary and exhilarating.  Like we were doing something wrong.  But so many people had the same idea I guess because it was just as crowded as it ever was.  Perhaps more so.  With all the end of the world crazies.

That's really the end of the story.  Nothing happened.  We slept in sleeping bags.  It was freezing.  We woke up at dawn to people walking by us on the sidewalk.  That is not really the best way to wake up. We walked to get coffee and saw the stealth bomber jet fly over the parade route.  It was loud and awesome.  Awesome in the way awesome should be.  Jaw drop, no words awesome.  And that is all that I remember.