Where were you when the clocks struck midnight on 31st January 1999 and ushered in the first minutes of the new Millennium? If you are old enough to have been there, or remember, that is! Do you recall worries about the Y2K bug deleting all our data? Or where you were when the twin towers fell on 9/11/2001?

In this episode of The Year of Being 70 Ep 17, ‘Millenium Memories, Y2K, 9/11 and our travels to the US and Russia’, two lifelong friends, Lucy and Lisette, who turned 70 last year, revisit their first moments of the year 2000, their different experiences of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, and their international travels over the next few years.

Key Highlights

• Celebrations and fears at the start of the new Millennium

Lucy watched the fireworks on the Thames while Lisette was on a roof in Amsterdam when the clocks chimed in the year 2000. They recall the real – or was it manufactured – anxiety that when the year settings on computers clicked through from 1999 to 2000, the IT system would collapse and we would lose all our data and comms. Spoiler alert – it didn’t happen!

• Memories of 9/11

While Lucy sat and watched the planes crash into the twin tours of the World Trade Center from her home in London, Lisette was actually in New York City and witnessed firsthand the destruction and horror. She describes feeling the physical impact of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center and walking amongst the traumatised residents of the city.

• Travels to and adoption from Russia

Lucy describes her experience of adopting two young children from two different children’s homes in Russia over several years in the early 2000s. This was a long, complicated process involving a lot of bureaucracy and travel between the UK and Russia. Lucy’s daughters were 11 months and 18 months when she brought them home to their new family

• Learning at the School of Healing in Miami

Lisette felt called to enrol in studies at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing in Miami, Florida, which took place over a 4-year period. She focused on psychology, energy healing, and the theories of psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, developing a new understanding of herself and others. This resulted in her book ‘The Childhood Conclusions’.

You can take Lisette’s test for your Childhood Conclusions on her website here: https://lisetteschuitemaker.com/test-your-childhood-conclusions/

Why You Should Listen

Both Lisette and Lucy went through major life changes and transitions in their 40s, with Lisette exploring her inner self and Lucy taking on the challenges of international adoption. Their overall sense that their 40s were a transformative period in their lives, with both women embarking on new personal journeys and projects, makes fascinating listening, along with their personal memories of the year 2000 and the 9/11 terrorist attack.

Join the Conversation

What are your recollections of the turn of the 21st century – if you were old enough to be there? If you enjoyed this discussion of a fascinating era, as well as the personal journeys of these old (in every sense) friends, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and tap the bell icon to stay updated on new episodes of The Year of Being 70. Subscribe now and join the journey!

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