There
are countless individual factors that could make anyone’s life less than
enjoyable. And all of us go through various hard times. I myself am going
through a very rough patch now, between my health and that of others close to
me. That said, I will make the claim that those of us born in the late ‘50s and
early ‘60s won life’s lottery. Let me explain.
As
young kids, we generally weren’t keenly aware or significantly affected by the
troubles of the late 1960s and were too young to be drafted into service during
the Vietnam War. We were in the prime of our youth in the 1970s and came into
real adulthood in the 1980s. Yes, the ‘70s were dismal in many ways, from the war
to gas lines to malaise. But we had orange shag carpets, National Geographic
and Reader’s Digest magazines lying around the house, and pet rocks on the
table in the entryway. We went to the “roller arena” whether we liked disco or
not. And to drive-in movies. First as families, and then with friends. We got
to watch “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Rockford
Files,” “The World At War,” and the early (best) years of “Saturday Night
Live.” And, oh, the music. The decade of the ‘70s was the pinnacle for modern
music. The Rolling Stones, the Doors, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, Chicago,
Gordon Lightfoot, Janis Joplin, Stevie Wonder, Three Dog Night. Etc., etc.,
etc.
The
best parts of the ‘70s helped to mask the worst parts of the ‘70s. And, being
kids, we played and made the best of things. This is why we are able to look
back so nostalgically today.
Then
the 1980s came along, and with them, a Miracle on Ice. And Ronald Reagan. Not
only was the country not finished, Reagan proclaimed that it was “Morning in
America.” A rebirth of pride, confidence, and hope for the future promptly
ensued. As did a rebirth of the economy. Reagan’s policies ushered in “the 17
fat years,” as I call them, a nearly unbroken economic boom that lasted from
1983 until the year 2000. This helped us immeasurably as we came into the
aforementioned “real adulthood.” We were learning and improving. And the
soundtrack of the ‘80s reflected that hope and confidence. Jaunty, upbeat, and
fun tunes dominated the charts. Songs with tiles such as “Don’t Stop
Believin’,” “Up Where We Belong,” “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” “You Make My Dreams
Come True,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and “Walking On Sunshine” topped the
charts.
We
didn’t have many of the things we have now in the ‘70s and ‘80s. But you can’t
miss what you never had, right? And I’m glad we didn’t live our lives staring
at screens and hoping for “likes.” I’m glad we didn’t have cell and smart
phones to which we were attached 24/7/365. The fact that we didn't have
“social” media was a plus, not a negative, at least to my mind. We weren’t
slaves to social media, our phones, or woke ideas. “A.I.” and the “singularity”
weren’t looming on the horizon. And, back then, cameras didn’t record your
every move, government didn’t either, and precisely no American cities and
towns were overrun with Muslim migrants. We took off on our bicycles after
lunch and didn’t return home until it was time for dinner. No one where I lived
was worried if they forgot to lock their doors at night. No one ever thought
about doing so during the day.
Therefore,
we had three things that most of us sadly do not have today: we were
safe, autonomous……and free. So gloriously
free.
Looking back, it is ironic that, as youth will
do, we also couldn’t wait for “someday.” Someday, we would get our driver’s
licenses. Someday, we would be of age to drink. Someday, we might make real
money…or write the Great American Novel.
As it turns out, it is stunning how quickly
someday has come and gone.
None of us know how many somedays we have…until
we have no more of them.
So I will close with a stanza from Al
Stewart’s song, “Time Passages.”
Well I’m not the kind to live in the past
The Years run too short and the days too fast
The things you lean on, are the things that
don’t last
Well it’s just now and then, my line gets cast
Into these time passages
There’s something back there that you left
behind
Oh, time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight
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