Growing Up In The Eighties

In my research about generational differences, I stumbled across some work by Esther Morris Massey. His chief theory is: "what you are, is where you were when" (the "where" mentions to your coming-of-age years; and the "when" to important events occurring during that clip period). For example, if you came of age during the Kennedy years, you would have got a very different position of authorities than those who grew up under later administrations.

Recent political competitions and the start of the New Year brought Massey's theory to mind as 25 old age ago, in 1983, I was smack dab in the center of high school. So I took a expression back at the important events that molded my positions and those of my equals who came of age during the much maligned, but surprisingly progressive 1980s.

Pop Culture -- In 1983, Mary explosion "Like a Virgin" onto the scene. Today this looks an almost tame manner to present one's ego compared to the Spears sisters' rallying outcry of "Oops, I did it again and again and, yep, do that once again." Of course, back then City Of Light was just a city; ankle joint watchbands were just jewelry; and the lone Ritchie we knew was crooning, "Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady."

Twenty-five old age ago before artificial satellite radiocommunication and iTunes, Sting was a Police-man observation every breath we took and Toilet Mellencamp was still a Cougar. At the box office, Uncle Tom Cruise had his first taste sensation of "Risky Business," Saint Matthew Broderick played "War Games" and Jennifer Beals had us ripping our sweatshirts and dance wish lunatics -- a "Flashdance" tendency most of us would like to forget. Earlier in 1983, the Academy honored "Ghandi" leading a nation; Richard Gere carrying Debra Winger "up where we belong"; Dustin Malvina Hoffman dressing in drag; and an foreign phoning home.

On the little screen, long before "American Idol" churned out dad stars and women bonded over "Sex and the City," we watched "Fame" and followed female buddies "Kate & Allie" and "Cagney & Lacey." Yet, not all female telecasting fictional characters were friends, as 1983 was the twelvemonth that Joan Wilkie Collins and Linda Herbert Mclean Evans took their celebrated tumble into the lily pool on "Dynasty." (I'm calm awaiting a modern-day rematch with Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Now that would be one "Survivor" episode worth viewing.)

A one-fourth of a century ago, OJ was still running for rental cars, not from rent-a-cops. We held Michael Glenda Jackson in awe, instead of "ew . . . " Ozzy was the lone Osbourne. Perch Jimmy Stewart and Woody Woody Allen had human relationships with women old adequate to cognize better, and we still believed Princess Princess Diana had married Prince Charming.

In retrospect, life was pretty guiltless dorsum then. Yet, there was an intimation of things to come up as 1983 pronounced the twelvemonth that Karenic Carpenter's decease introduced anorexia and a Gallic man of science discovered HIV.

Technology -- Today I watch television on my computer, take images with my camera, breaker the Web from my telephone and download music from the Internet. But it wasn't until 1983 that Microsoft Word was first distributed, compact phonograph records were released and Motorola introduced mobile telephones to the public. Back then, a blackberry was just a fruit; a bluish tooth would intend a phone call to the dentist; and the most sought after vacation nowadays was not a picture game, but a Cabbage Spot Child that didn't even have got a 2nd life as an embodiment in an online community.

That was all soon to change as 1983 was the twelvemonth that ARPANET began using the Internet Protocol, helping make the Internet.

Politics/Legal -- Inch 1983, the Ronald Reagan disposal was focused on the Soviets, "Star Wars" and "just saying no." United States Congress came together to make St Martin Martin Luther King Day and Jesse Glenda Jackson announced his purpose to run for president. Universal Joint and Sony were duking it out in the Supreme Court over the videotaping of telecasting broadcasts. (If they only knew what that small known Internet thingy would have got in shop for them.)

Women's rights were at a high point in 1983. Wisecrack Drive ventured into space and just two old age after appointing the first female justice, the Supreme Court limited the powerfulness of state and local authorities to curtail entree to legal abortions and ruled that employers must handle male and females equally in providing wellness benefits. It's no surprise that lone a twelvemonth later presidential campaigner Bruno Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro as a running play mate.

1983 was also a twelvemonth where we actually witnessed warfares coming to a stopping point as the United States withdrew from Grenada and 125 million of us tuned in for the concluding episode of "M*A*S*H."

Retrospective wrap-up -- Looking back, I was fortunate to turn up in an epoch of relative innocence, innovation, chance and optimism. Although I must confess that it might have got made me a spot naive. You see, in 1983, I was living in Old Line State and rooting for the American Capital Redskins as they won the Superintendent Bowl and the Baltimore Orioles who later that twelvemonth won the World Series. I thought hometown-winning runs went on forever.

Looking forward, I trust that my boy larns as I did that even when the winning streaks come up to an end and society looks to be moving in the incorrect direction, it can be just as rewarding to root for underdogs, long-shots, adventurers and dreamers who disquieted the position quo and shingle up the human race as we cognize it.