I had forgotten about it, but, according to a plaque I received at the time, I apparently hit my spiritual peak at 18:
I’m not sure what “(1989–1995)” signifies. It might be my time in the youth group at that church. More distressing, obviously, is the fact that I reached the unlimited heights so long ago, which means that my life must have been in decline ever since.
Well, it’s better than getting some youth-oriented Bible.
by JH—Sep 30, 12:30 PM
Like Max Lucado’s Inspirational Study Bible? I was given one of those. Life on the Edge, too.
by greg—Sep 30, 12:41 PM
It just occurred to me that the name may have been concocted post facto to fit the already chosen acronym.
by JH—Sep 30, 01:40 PM
I suspect that’s right, but what’s the attraction of “R.U.S.H.”?
by greg—Sep 30, 01:50 PM
Dude, it’s the mid 90s. Do you even need to ask? RUSH is totally Xtreme.
by JH—Sep 30, 02:19 PM
I think you’re too early. Except for the “Gen X” name, I don’t remember Xtreme things becoming part of the popular lexicon until at least 1997. Further, that particular youth minister was more apt to be two years behind pop culture (due as much to resistance as to awareness) as ahead.
by greg—Sep 30, 02:28 PM
Maybe not the actual word “Xtreme,” but I remember watching MTV around 94 and 95 and seeing wall to wall ads featuring bungee jumping and bad ass snowboarding by the type of guys who do ballsy stuff and would yell “fuckin’ aaaaaaa!!” if they weren’t on television. The zeitgeist was definitely there, if not the word.
by JH—Sep 30, 02:44 PM
I was using the word as you were, as shorthand for the zeitgeist. After some cursory research, I see that James Bond jumped the bungee in GoldenEye (1995), and in 1998 snowboarding became an Olympic sport. So… I didn’t have cable until I moved to college, which was sans MTV anyway, so perhaps my pop culture memory is off—although I did have a scrip to Rolling Stone. And come to think of it, even I thought Rad was awesome when I was in Jr. High….
I maintain, however, that my youth minister was as hip as a head of cabbage.
by greg—Sep 30, 09:43 PM