Want to Hook-Up?

When I was a kid my Dad used to say things like "Cool," and "Daddy o." I rolled my eyes. He was so old fashioned. The '60's came and went and I was left saying, "Man, that's groovy," or "that's a bitchin' car."

And when a guy liked a girl he asked her to 'go steady.' What a nice way to describe a relationship, steady. I was asked to go steady when I was in the fourth grade. I got really nervous so I immediately went into my 'ask a lot of questions' mode. I was on the phone with this poor boy and I asked him what it meant to go 'steady.' He told me, he thought it meant holding hands and walking down to the record shop on a Saturday.

Doesn't that sound nice?

Kids don't go steady anymore. They "HOOK-UP!" Now, this makes me nervous so again I go into my question asking mode. "What does it mean to HOOK-UP?" I ask my kids and any of their friends that know me well to indulge my curiosity.

I have come to learn that HOOKING-UP has several different meanings. One of my kids explained, "Hooking-up is like when you're at a party and you just hook-up with someone." I still didn't get it. I asked him again. (I am fully conscious of one's need to be persistent to get any kind of real answer.) He looks at me like he can't believe I don't understand, "You know, like you make-out." AHHH, I know what 'make-out' means. We used that word way back when. But wait, does it have a new meaning. I need to inquire further, "Is making out like french kissing?" I get eye rolls which means, duh...I used that word too. In fact I think our generation invented duh. (Thank God for Homer Simpson) So, I have new found resolve. "So hooking-up means kissing with tongues?"

This is when I almost lose them. I plead for them to answer me. How will I ever know if they won't tell me?

Casually, one of my kids says, "It also means like having sex."

OK. So now I'm completely confused. If I hear someone say "I hooked-up with that girl at the party it could mean kissing, but it could also mean a lot more?"

What happened to "Let's go steady." I liked the steady thing. I understood it.

Now, I have a final question, and I'm going to march into my son's room right now and interrupt his studying--I 'm going to ask, "What do you say when you are going out with a girl--like when your facebook status says 'in a relationship?'"

Pause for answer.....walking my computer over to his room...knocking on his door...he is looking up...here goes. Question asked....

My son's expression of bewilderment....

"IT'S CALLED DATING, MOM!!!!!!!"

Imagine that. My father used to call it dating too. Some things don't ever go out of style.