I'm a little late, but the years are just Flying by just doing the normal stuff. Things appeared slow when you were 8 years old, but not anymore, but maybe that's not true for people 8 years old today. I don't know how the perception of time is to them.
What I do know is technology is advancing at an alarming rate and it's tough to keep up even on the surface. People are running Linux and they don;t even know it. Their Android smart phone, their TV, their router, their settop box, whatever.
Fixing stuff is harder and manufacturer support sometimes seems non-existant. Keithley, Tektronix, HP, Agilent, and Fluke have an entirely different mindset these days.
Electronics are nearly impossible to repair and even experiment with. Now, you can put components INSIDE the PCB.
Stuff that was conceptually impossible is suddenly is possible.
The US seems to becoming more tolerent with some things and less tolerant with others. Money seems to still rule and i wish the powers that be would "Do the right thing" so we don't have Space Shuttle Challenger disasters, Hurricane Sandy disasters, the Exxon spill. The risk could have been much lower to the point it was preventable. The powers that be said, "NO! it costs too much".
The politicians need to listen to the engineers.
The US Congress needs help though.