The 1980s

[Aberdumbie]

Spent that entire decade on the road living my guitar hero dream. I remember lots of heavy cabinets. And more heavy cabinets. I remember being able to get the attention of an audience (or the fairer sex) because they weren’t self absorbed in their personal I-device.... I remember fixing the gig truck and my own wheels without needing a computer read out.... And hair..... I once had such a wondrously marvelous head of hair.... Oh, and LOTS of heavy cabinets.... Did I mention that?

 

[ZenG]

I had a friend that had a pager and wore his keys on a little clip on the front belt loop of his slacks.

At that time he was The Coolest Person Ever (to him anyway).

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I was thinking about my recollection of the 80s. I was born in 83 so my memories start at what, 88? I have vague memories of a few things but tv and movies and filled in the rest. It seemed like everyone was slightly unconformable in their clothes and always a little bit sweaty.

Yeah at age 88 your memories can be just as vague as when you were young.

 

[saltydude]

When the phone rang you answered it. It could be an emergency.. who knows? we generally wanted to actually talk. There was no caller ID. Now folks run from or ignore the phone only to respond when it’s convenient.

 

[ZenG]

Very few people that I know actually use their cellphones as phones.

Making phone calls is soooo "last century"..

 

[MordBass]

I dont want to make anything political so please dont read into it like that..... but I got curious in my late 20's about how the 80's really were vs how I saw them through my kiddie goggles. ( was born in 81').
I had a long conversation with one of my friends parents and she said that I was right to think that so many things were better back then. Opportunity seemed possible for so many people when it really doesnt today for many of those peoples children.
She worked in a church as a receptionist and the dad was a regular ol' tech for the electric company. They had a 3 bedroom home on a half acre in the chicago burbs, 2 kids, and they always drove caddys or lincolns although they would only ever buy them 5 years used because it was a great value. We would go out every saturday in the summer, bowling, mini golf, whatever.... we'd get some pizza hut and rent a few movies or a nintendo game. A relatively normal life with a pair of kids and a foundation was very reachable with an honest days work.
On the other end... I personally have to say that for all the internet has given us... Id have preferred it never showed up. There was so much more magic back then... nobody was nose to a screen all day and night.... you would scour the record store looking for new bands... drive around aimlessly and talk with friends for fun. Everything seemed less like prison back then.

FWIW I have acknowledged for many years that I likely have deep rooted issues with disliking current times in favor of those that have passed. I got comfortable in what life had to offer and I was ok with the challenges it presented to be happy.... but then it just kept on morphing further and further from what I loved so much.

 

[DirtDog]

I turned 16 in 1983 - what a decade.

Spent a lot of time in one of these:

With girls like this...

but also doing this...

and this:

 

[DirtDog]

Now spend a lot time doing this:

 

[Ooba Tooba]

I turned 16 in 1983 - what a decade.

Spent a lot of time in one of these:

View attachment 2858880

With girls like this...

View attachment 2858881

but also doing this...

View attachment 2858882

and this:

View attachment 2858883

My first car was an 83 Delta 88. It was 5 yrs old and immaculate. Used to call it big black.

 

[DirtDog]

View attachment 2858886
My first car was an 83 Delta 88. It was 5 yrs old and immaculate. Used to call it big black.

My buddy’s dad had the same one - we could fit an entire drum kit in the trunk! Loved that car.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

When the phone rang you answered it. It could be an emergency.. who knows? we generally wanted to actually talk. There was no caller ID. Now folks run from or ignore the phone only to respond when it’s convenient.

Mom always said, let the phone ring ten times to allow people enough time to answer.
And if you call grandma, let it ring at least 12 times.
She would know, she worked for the phone company as a switchboard operator.

(And the 20 somethings are going, "whaaaaa?")

I miss directory service. You called, a person answered and if you didn't have the exact information perfectly correct for who you were trying to find, they could usually figure it out for you. Though that may have been more of a 70's thing. The decades are just one big blur anymore.

 

[farace]

Mom always said, let the phone ring ten times to allow people enough time to answer.
And if you call grandma, let it ring at least 12 times.
She would know, she worked for the phone company as a switchboard operator.

(And the 20 somethings are going, "whaaaaa?")

I miss directory service. You called, a person answered and if you didn't have the exact information perfectly correct for who you were trying to find, they could usually figure it out for you. Though that may have been more of a 70's thing. The decades are just one big blur anymore.

I kind of miss, and don't, dial telephones. Remember how much we hated people with zeroes in their phone number?

 

[Ooba Tooba]

I kind of miss, and don't, dial telephones. Remember how much we hated people with zeroes in their phone number?

Ahh the rotary. 479-050(accidentally dials 9) DOH!

 

[JRA]

for me, the 80's = DSM-III

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

With girls like this...

View attachment 2858881

WOW! You hung out with Lady Diana, Olivia Newton-John and Bruce Jenner?
Very cool!

 

[jasmangan]

The one thing I miss, as has been mentioned before, is that people would hang out at parks. Parents would actually let their kids go to a park with their friends without the parents tagging along. Not so much these days. I have not seen a pick up game of whatever in a park in years. Every thing is organized, played by kids who play a sport 9 months of the year. No parents I know let the little kids out by themselves anymore. We’ve lost something, I just can’t put my finger on it.

 

[MordBass]

The one thing I miss, as has been mentioned before, is that people would hang out at parks. Parents would actually let their kids go to a park with their friends without the parents tagging along. Not so much these days. I have not seen a pick up game of whatever in a park in years. Every thing is organized, played by kids who play a sport 9 months of the year. No parents I know let the little kids out by themselves anymore. We’ve lost something, I just can’t put my finger on it.

Yuuuuup! I remember in the early 90's my mom would let me and my friend rollerblade 5 miles each way to a giant shopping mall where we would spend the day unattended and eventually skate back by dark. we were like 13 lol

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

The one thing I miss, as has been mentioned before, is that people would hang out at parks. Parents would actually let their kids go to a park with their friends without the parents tagging along. Not so much these days. I have not seen a pick up game of whatever in a park in years. Every thing is organized, played by kids who play a sport 9 months of the year. No parents I know let the little kids out by themselves anymore. We’ve lost something, I just can’t put my finger on it.

Participation Trophies. Maybe you can put your finger on that? I'll even suggest which finger to use.
Everyone's a WINNER. Until you enter the job market. Kid's... Don't include participation trophies on your resume.
The boss wants real winner. Hope you know what that feels like?

But maybe that was a 90s + thing? The decades are all just one big blur now.

 

[MordBass]

Participation Trophies. Maybe you can put your finger on that? I'll even suggest which finger to use.
Everyone's a WINNER. Until you enter the job market. Kid's... Don't include participation trophies on your resume.
The boss wants real winner. Hope you know what that feels like?

But maybe that was a 90s + thing? The decades are all just one big blur now.

I feel like every complaint about participation trophies is misguided to be honest. I grew up in the 80's and even then with sports in gym class as well as out of school stuff, we all were taught that having fun was what mattered at the end of the day and every body at least went home with something. Lets also keep in mind who the people handing out the "trophies" were.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I feel like every complaint about participation trophies is misguided to be honest. I grew up in the 80's and even then with sports in gym class as well as out of school stuff, we all were taught that having fun was what mattered at the end of the day and every body at least went home with something. Lets also keep in mind who the people handing out the "trophies" were.

IDK. The parents of the kids who are destined to not play sports by the time they get to High school?

My granddaughter, played organized soccer for the first time this year. Her team came in second in the championships. I called to congratulate her and told her that was a great accomplishment. She said next year will be first place.

Her mom was a state champ softball player. I wasn't much for sports by the time I got to High School so not sure where the girls got it. But I attended every softball game I could get to and encouraged/supported my daughter as much as possible and maybe that's what she got from me in how she is with her daughter?

It won't matter to me if the GD wins or not. What matters is that they have something to strive for, a goal for improvement.