A lot of factors go into making a person who they are, but for me, Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson have been busy teaching me the value of a sense of humor since I was young. I watched an episode for the first time in the mid-’90s, and what came to pass that evening was the start of a revolution for me. I couldn’t even tell you what episode was on that night. All I know is after that, very few episodes escaped my attention.

Whether it was concealing the secret ingredient in the Flaming Moe or sniffing out the gunman in the epic “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” series, “The Simpsons” gracefully-or not so gracefully-handled every situation that was thrown their way, no matter how bizarre. By lampooning American culture and current events, “The Simpsons” discriminated against none by making fun of all.

Yet even so, before the 22 minutes is up, it often comes back to highlighting the importance of family and friendship, but in a uniquely “Simpsons” kind of way.

“The Simpsons” has come a long way since it debuted the year after I was born. It started out as the kind of show that made parents block TV channels, and led then-President George H. W. Bush to call for families to be less like the Simpsons.

However, today, thanks to competition with shows like Tila Tequila’s and “Family Guy,” “The Simpsons” easily falls under the benign show category, perhaps even leaning toward soft.

But to be fair, it’s getting up there in the years, though certainly not without a lengthy legacy, including the fact that many of the jokes today considered classics can trace their debut to “The Simpsons.” Now, the series is almost old enough to get into a bar without a fake ID. They grow up so fast.

But time doesn’t have to change all.

Because really, that’s what’s most amazing about “The Simpsons.” The mark of a really good show is one that can still resonate with you at age 20 just as it did at age 10. Pogs may have gone the way of the dodo, the Rug Rats may have grown up and even Hanson only had 15 minutes of fame, but the fact that “The Simpsons” outlived all the other ’90s fads was no fluke.

“The Simpsons” and I grew up together, and even though my life has become so completely unrecognizable, I know I can always count on them to stay just as they are-sarcastic, witty, a little wearied and tired today, but still the same dysfunctional-bordering-heartwarming family they’ve always been.

Windmills of My Mind is a column written by a different contributor every week on memories about a film, book, play, song, or piece of art. Interested in writing one? E-mail the editor at [email protected].