Top 10 to Twenty Ten/ "How did I get here?”

January 4, 2010 - 8:34pm | Jeph Wager

So far, Twenty Ten for me has been spent catching up on Mad Men. My charming wife and I spent this weekend watching all three seasons. Originally I wrote the show off as a nostalgia wank, but I gave it a chance after reading Maitland’s Top Ten list. Good show. Even I make mistakes. Did you know that the theme song is an instrumental version of a RJD2/Aceyalone song? Listening to the version with the rapping turned my world upside-down (even though the vocals weren't very good). I only have one RJD2 album, so I was quite surprised. Anyway, this has nothing to do with this article—but an editor can say whatever they want in an editor’s letter. That’s the rule. Next is the real bit.

In my head, Twenty Ten has always been a big year. Partially, this has been because it is the year in which I turn thirty. I guess everyone has their age that they associate with adulthood, and in my youth, I always pictured thirty. I remember thinking of this year as a time where I would suddenly be living comfortably in a 1950s suburb with a wife and kids, a dog, and an excellent career of some sort. Even when Vancouver announced that it was going to try and see about hosting the Olympics (just over a decade ago), I had a picture in my head (which seemed quite funny even then) of taking my 1950s kids there.

In the morning of New Years Eve, as I was listening to my mp3 player on shuffle on the SkyTrain heading to work, Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” came on. Usually I put little thought into Talking Heads’ lyrics. But because of the weird state that New Years always puts me in (and because I’m an exceedingly corny gentleman at times), I couldn’t help but to be reminded of the odd idea I always had of this year. I was a bit off. First, though I am not thirty yet, I have somehow become an adult already (although the liquor store still hasn’t realized I’m over 19). While Crab Town is a fun pursuit, it doesn’t pay the bills; So I wouldn’t quite say I have a career. And the suburb in which I live in Twenty Ten doesn’t look like the Norman Rockwell picture I had in my head as a kid. But still, when I heard the line: ‘You may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife, and you may ask yourself, “How did I get here?”’, it got me thinking—how did I get here?

And so, as you might have deduced from the title, my Top 10 list is a personal list of how I got from the 1990s to here in rough chronological order, or:

“How did I get here?” ... 2000s

Stopped being a raver (6am, January 1, 2000). This freed up the brain power and time that I had previously spent trying to figure out what style of music is best: trance, house, drum n bass, or funky breaks.
Laid off from mega-bank that I worked for with mailroom and data entry experience, and enough severance money to enrol myself in writing school. I know Kurt Vonnegut said not to go to writing school, but it helped me. And I went to regular university later.
Never got decent at rapping. If I did, my life would be very different, living in a thug mansion, etc... Instead I just stood quietly in the back at hiphop shows wearing my Krylon trucker hat. This was quite embarrassing anytime anyone asked me if I painted, as I didn’t have any graffiti skills either. Eventually I got tired of the whole Anticon thing (as everyone did), and now I just listen to mainstream rap.
Went to school for philosophy and publishing. I quite enjoyed both. Did a little bit of volunteering at the school paper and radio station.
Married my beautiful wife. This doesn’t need an explanation. It is the most important bit from this list. And it’s the part that my original Twenty Ten delusion got right!
Went to Europe. So what? I like Europe. Don’t judge me.
My band never broke up, but we only played three or four times this decade. It was quite fun. You can listen to our music on the record label link to the left.
Started Crab Town. You know about this part. That’s why you are reading this. And thanks for that, by the way.
... I actually can’t figure out what I should put for the other two. I think I might be missing something important, but I have a horrible memory. I think I’ll end here instead of trying to remember what else brought me here. Obviously family and friends helped me accomplish the things I accomplished; but this isn't a list of shout-outs, just events. I do hope to write more editor’s letters in the future though. It’s kind of the fun part about having your own magazine.

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Twenty Ten

Submitted by Jeph Wager on January 4, 2010 - 8:51pm.

By the way, I referred to 2010 as Twenty Ten throughout the article as a conscious deviation from standard editorial practice so as to draw attention to the proper spelling of the year. Just jumping on that whole bandwagon.

1. It was funky breaks. 2.

Submitted by Byron on January 5, 2010 - 2:07pm.

1. It was funky breaks.
2. Where is my shout-out?

reply

Submitted by Jeph Wager on January 5, 2010 - 7:27pm.

1. Correct.
2. Number seven.

Ah, yes

Submitted by Byron on January 6, 2010 - 1:03pm.

Excellent, thanks for the clarification Jeph. I wasn't sure if # 7 referred to our band or to Funktasia.

Also, I'd like to give a shout-out to # 5. I love you guys.

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