Back in the Day...

Oh the 80s. A simpler time. A time when walkie talkies were the closest thing to cell phones, and social media meant riding your bike to a friend's house to tell them about your day. 
I feel lucky to have grown up in a time before technology took over. When your imagination was your greatest toy. When you only had 6 channels of television to choose from, and every station shut down at midnight. 
In many ways, I think the 80s were the last great decade. Certainly the last real original one. Everything after that is just a copy or a reinvention of something that came before it. 
So in honor of that iconic era, here is a list of 8 of my favorite 80s memories, and things that I miss. Enjoy...

1. Colorful fashions.

The 80s were chocked full of color. From clothing, to accessories, to hair and make-up. We weren't afraid to stand out in a crowd. It was a happier time, and it showed. 

2. Fun toys. 

This was a time before helicopter parenting and mass childhood obesity. Before every toy was banned for being too dangerous. When your toys got you off the couch and moving, instead of encouraging inactivity. 

3. Terribly awesome movies.

Most of my all time favorite films are from the 1980s. They were bizarre, original, and full of wild adventures and colorful characters. 

4. Cartoons.

When I was a kid, Saturday mornings meant cartoons. And not just an hour, but several hours worth. And they were quality. They taught us valuable lessons, took us to worlds beyond our imaginations, and the theme songs were clever and catchy. 

5. Scented everything.

Toys, markers, stickers, and more! Everything smelled wonderful. Seriously, was scent technology invented in the 80s or something? Kids nowadays will just never know the joy of sniffing the purple marker, or the pain of being forced to smell the black or brown ones. 

6. Lip gloss.

Call me crazy, but lip gloss just hasn't been nearly as good since the 80s. Sure, it has glitter now, which is great, but I haven't felt compelled to eat an entire tub of balm since at least 1991. I'd give my left arm for a classic bottle of strawberry Kissing Potion. To feel the roller ball glide across my lips. Mmm... those really were the days. 

7. Snacks.

I'm having a hard time even looking at this photo. I literally want to sit down and eat an entire bag of Pizzarias chips and wash them down with 6 Hi-C Ecto Coolers. Can we please bring these delicious treats back? Who do I have to email about this?

8. Cereal.

I don't even know where to begin on this one. There were just SO many good ones. Sure, they were 98% sugar, but dammit, they were awesome. Not to mention the boxes were always a pleasure to read, and there were toys and prizes in literally every box. Nothing could top the excitement of pouring yourself a bowl, and seeing that plastic bag fall into it. And seeing the looks of pure envy on your siblings' faces was a close second. If we can't have the tasty cereals back, can we at least put some cool shit back in the boxes? I mean damn... give me something here, people. 

Childhood Memories

Remember being a kid and thinking you couldn't wait to grow up? We were convinced that life as an adult was so much better. Boy were we wrong. Life as a kid was so much simpler. Someone cooked for you, cleaned up after you, took care of you when you were sick and made sure you had everything you needed. Your only job was to go to school and have fun. Aside from the occasional chores and whatnot, life was just easy. I know everyone gets older and thinks back on the way life was and thinks that their generation was the best. But I am going to just state the obvious anyway and say that MY generation really is the best. Being born in 1979, the 70's were behind us, but in my home, and I'm sure many others, bits and pieces of them still lingered. Orange shag carpet and 8 track players for instance. But the 80's were looming on the horizon. Microwaves, video games, MTV and more were waiting just ahead.
Oh the 80's... such memorable times. The 80's brought us so many wonderful things. Technology (Who remembers BETA?) was just the beginning. Walkmans paved the way for ipods, microwaves reinvented dinner, mobile phones were fast becoming something more than just television props and speaking of television... MTV was making its mark on the hearts of kids everywhere. "I want my MTV." was more than just an advertisement, it was a way of life. You didn't just hear your favorite songs, you watched them. You dressed like your favorite MTV stars and VJ's and you couldn't wait for your favorite hour, whether it was 'Yo! MTV Raps' or 'Headbangers Ball' or one of the many reality shows/specials that came along as the channel grew. TV and movies were a big part of any kids life if you grew up in the 80's & 90's. Everyone has a favorite and the list is endless. Cartoons when I was a kid were just better. You can take your Spongebob idiot pants and stick it where the sun don't shine. I'll take 'Smurfs', 'GI Joe', 'Transformers', 'Carebears', 'Gummi Bears', 'Muppets', or anything from the 80's over that junk anyday. Television shows were family friendly and taught you life lessons, not how to kill someone and leave no evidence behind, or how to act like a trashy, ignorant disaster. Things were just better back then. Toys were meant to be played with, not to play for you. You had to use your imagination and be creative. You didn't get every new toy that came out and you didn't expect to, either. When you made your Christmas list, it was things you wanted, not things you demanded. You might get 1 or 2 things off your list, not every damn thing on it. And if you didn't get the one thing you really wanted, you either saved your allowance (that you actually had to earn) and bought it yourself, or you asked for it the next year. You played outside, you rode your bike to your friends house 4 blocks away. It wouldn't have even occurred to us to ask our parents for a ride. You played sports and kept score. Winning made you feel good and losing made you try harder the next time. If you were bad at something, it was ok to say so. It made you want to practice more or just try new things. If you had a fight with your friends, you handled it yourself. My mom never called my friends mom and told her to make her kid apologize. I would've felt like an idiot. We called each other names and picked on one another. Every kid was a bully at some point, until they got picked on too. How did our parents handle it? They told us, "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you." or "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." and we got over it. Life was just different back then. Simpler. Easier. Better.

The 90's were the last of the good times. Now, by good times, I don't mean the Grunge look. That was just bad all around. No one can pull off that much flannel and ripped denim. Not even Jared Padalecki. But the 90's were the end of an era. The last of the normal kids. By 2000, seeing a kid on a bike was like seeing a unicorn. Being ridden by a fairy. Over a rainbow. Made of gumdrops. Ok, you get my point. Things have changed. Some may think it's for the better, but not me. Yes, I love my cell phone, and facebook, and the internet just as much as the next guy, but I'd give it all up for a chance to have the simplicity and fun of my childhood back. So here's to all the "Back in the day." and "When I was a kid." and "I remember when." moments that are sure to come. Hold on to those times. Share them with your kids and grandkids and let them live on forever...