Did you appreciate living in the 70s, 80s and 90s?

[thaibeachlovers]

Assuming that most posters on here were young men during those decades, did you appreciate that you were living in the best of times for western white males?

 

The world wasn't overpopulated, people were not taking to leaky boats to invade western countries, most of us had the option of many jobs, petrol was cheap and travel easy, before the security on airlines ruined the flying experience, other countries welcomed us, the music was better than now, do I need to go on about how good it was?

 

The only bad thing that I recall was the Vietnam war, and that didn't affect most of us not American.

 

I didn't appreciate those decades because I thought they would go on for my lifetime ( sadly disappointed that they didn't- things are IMO getting worse everywhere ).

Edited September 11, 2023 by thaibeachlovers

[nikmar]

there was some god awful music in the 80s. My girlfriend made me listen to the "Fame" soundtrrack. Awful.

[Gottfrid]

Yes, I did. Same as I appreciate life at present

[Keep Right]

The 60's were the best, summer of love, mini skirts, no Aids,  very few STDs. Great music, "far out man........"

[Dmaxdan]

I definitely feel privileged to have "come of age" during the 70s and 80s.

It was a simpler time where people didn't rely on technology and hand held electronic devices to run their lives. 

People weren't so easily offended and snowflakes were just something that fell from the sky every winter.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Keep Right said:

The 60's were the best, summer of love, mini skirts, no Aids,  very few STDs. Great music, "far out man........"

I was at an all male boarding school in the 60s so no "summer of love" for me, which is why I posted the 70s as a starting point.

[KhunLA]

Not sure what western white male has to do with it, but I had a blast, born 1954, out of HS '73'.  War winding down, so non-issue.  HIV non-issue till 80's.

 

Women on the Pill ... what's not to love.  

 

Could have done without the 2 divorces, but taken in stride, along with ever changing job market, as I actually had 30+ different jobs, and only 1 for 13 yrs.  All others, 1 yr or less.  Many less than 1 month.  Mind boggling when I think about.

 

Always a roof & food, and with Sex Drugs and R&R

 

80's music, disco, punk easily ignored.  Blessed, and fortunate, and appreciate it all.

[jerrymahoney]

Those years were not always easy for me -- I'm having a much easier time now.

[nikmar]

17 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

people didn't rely on technology and hand held electronic devices to run their lives. 

it s funny looking back and wondering how we all got by without messaging apps. and without access to information 24/7. We knew how to converse then.

[retarius]

I can't honestly say I enjoyed my life more when I was young. I was young but had kids, a single income and lots of worries and pressures. I love my life now in my 70s, I loved it a decade ago as well and a decade before that. If a pill existed to take me back to my 20s I'm not sure I would take it to be honest. my life is drawing to a close and I'm happy with that.

[fredwiggy]

58 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Assuming that most posters on here were young men during those decades, did you appreciate that you were living in the best of times for western white males?

 

The world wasn't overpopulated, people were not taking to leaky boats to invade western countries, most of us had the option of many jobs, petrol was cheap and travel easy, before the security on airlines ruined the flying experience, other countries welcomed us, the music was better than now, do I need to go on about how good it was?

 

The only bad thing that I recall was the Vietnam war, and that didn't affect most of us not American.

 

I didn't appreciate those decades because I thought they would go on for my lifetime ( sadly disappointed that they didn't- things are IMO getting worse everywhere ).

There is still some great music coming out these days, especially in the progressive rock, blues, southern rock and folk rock genres. I grew up from the 50's through the 80's, when most of the best music came out, so that has been a great thing, seeing I'm a music fanatic. Concerts were cheap. Seeing JFK killed on TV, and my mom crying, when I was 7, I'll never forget. Everything that happens now was happening then, only with much less media coverage, besides the mass shootings which are happening. People there have gone crazy, although I will move back home asap. I was almost to draft age when the Vietnam War ended, with the draft stopping in January, so I was happy about that. Gas was cheap until the nonsense about it running low, and the gas lines, which brought about rage and some killings. R&B music had some memorable tunes I still love to this day. I had my first cars, and should have kept the VW beetle even though the engine seized, and my friend and I had to push it back to my house 2 miles away, over a highway median, dodging traffic. We didn't think about getting old back then, only having fun and finding pretty women .

[mfd101]

Basically I was too busy slaving my guts out to notice, first climbing the academic ladder of pretentiousness, then the Oz federal bureaucracy's slippery & dangerous ladder ...

 

Happiness (love) came to me late, at age 62. Now quite content with life amongst the Khmer peasants of south Surin - cuddles every night, books all day. What's not to like.

[KannikaP]

After 6 years of weekend banding, I took the plunge and joined a Professional band in April 1970. Worked all over Europe and Scandinavia, servicing the local ladies as had to be done. Got together with one of my girl singers in 1981, married in 84, still on the road. 

It was a great time with great music, and so easy to live. Started our own hotel business in 86 until 2000. Been there, done most of it. 

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I didn't appreciate those decades because I thought they would go on for my lifetime ( sadly disappointed that they didn't- things are IMO getting worse everywhere ).

The best time ever for me is now!

Back in the good old days I was always a bit frustrated by lacking access to sex (even though I was married).

And the tech wasn't all that handy either, radio where I had to listen to what the DJ wanted to play, TV where I had to watch what was available on 3 channels that didn't start until 5:30pm. Books that the local library had chosen to stock. Life was all very limited.

 

Today, I can download any movie, TV show, music or books and have as much sex as I could ever imagine all easily available at either no, or little cost.

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by BritManToo

[stoner]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I was at an all male boarding school in the 60s so no "summer of love" for me, which is why I posted the 70s as a starting point.

and the forbidden love ? 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

More fun being 20 in the '70s than 70 in the '20s.

[3NUMBAS]

3 hours ago, Keep Right said:

The 60's were the best, summer of love, mini skirts, no Aids,  very few STDs. Great music, "far out man........"

agreed 60s were the best for MODs on scooters and ska and blue beat 45s

soho R and B clubs were rocking all nite long 

keith was playing 98.6  

 

Good morning sun, I say it's good to see you shinin'
I know my baby brought you to me
She kissed me yesterday hello your silver linin'
Got spring and summer runnin' through me

 

Hey, 98.6, it's good to have you back again, oh
Hey, 98.6, her lovin' is the medicine that saved me
Oh, I love my baby

Hey everybody on the street, I see you smilin'
Must be because I found my baby
You know she's got me on another kind of highway
I want to go to where it takes me

 

Hey, 98.6, it's good to have you back again, oh
Hey, 98.6, her lovin' is the medicine that saved me
Oh, I love my baby

You know she's got me on another kind of highway
I want to go to where it takes me

Hey, 98.6, it's good to have you back again, oh
Hey, 98.6, her lovin' is the medicine that saved me
Oh, I love my baby

[3NUMBAS]

women with nose rings and tattoos and  not for chating as theyre absorbed with a fone and headfones what a sorry state of affairs ..

[KhunLA]

20 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

More fun being 20 in the '70s than 70 in the '20s.

So true.  Considering that stretch of time, it's nice just be here in the 20's and healthy, and still able to get our freak on.  With the same aged partners of the 70's, if that's your choice ????

[xylophone]

6 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

women with nose rings and tattoos and  not for chating as theyre absorbed with a fone and headfones what a sorry state of affairs ..

Thank heaven that in my younger days we didn't have women with nose rings, lip rings, facial studs and the like, nor any tattoo's, or none that you could see anyway!

 

Born in 1947, so experienced the 50s, and the 60s and 70s were brilliant, with far too much adventure and excitement to recall here.

 

The 80s were good, with a fantastic job in NZ, which enabled me to dine out wherever I wanted, and date some pretty Kiwi girls – – wouldn't change it for the world, and I'm well satisfied with what I'm doing at the moment, which is not much at all, apart from spending far too much time on the computer and collecting red wine.

[Shop mak]

Let me think ...

70's

Horrible green brown tweed shirts

High neck shirts

Long hair, no ears visible

Also young men used 4-6 inch heels, huge heavy shoes.

Tight white jeans, so small that one had to lay flat on the floor and use a tool to close the zipper, yes all merchandise was very visible.

Black&white huge tv

Radio Luxemburg on the radio

played in amateur band

Weekend Dj

lost my virginity, blame above

Motown r&b true music

Hard Rock and soul music

Caught cheating, lost both of them. Never again.

80's

got my driving license

My first car 800$

My first real love relationship

Became a father

Work 60 hrs/week

Also men hi-light their hair like George Michael

Work earn money

2nd job added.

Condo

Townhouse

Finally a decent new car

Single house

Became a father again

90's

Work 70+ hrs/week

Cabin by the sea

Cabin in the mountain

..... private ......

Moved to Thailand.

2'k forward

Lots of .....

Lots of .......

Lots of ..........

 

70s & 80s was def the best time of my life.

 

[JRG23]

Well I arrived in Bangkok in the late 1980s and it changed my life.

Bangkok (and Pattaya) was so much fun - unrecognisable from today.

Those days were the best.

[Moti24]

If I could turn-back the clock, I'd be off to the 70s, without a doubt.

[EVENKEEL]

Wonder how many Viet Nam vets we have here. And if you were of age how did you avoid the draft. I joined the US Navy 1976 age 18. Guess the draft ended 1975 when the war ended. 

[Sharp]

Growing up in the 70s was ????????%

[fredwiggy]

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Wonder how many Viet Nam vets we have here. And if you were of age how did you avoid the draft. I joined the US Navy 1976 age 18. Guess the draft ended 1975 when the war ended. 

Draft ended January 1975. I was 17 and 5 months. War ended in April. I was lucky.

[Gandtee]

I didn't then. I just took it for granted. Looking back, I appreciate it now.

[bunnydrops]

23 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Wonder how many Viet Nam vets we have here. And if you were of age how did you avoid the draft. I joined the US Navy 1976 age 18. Guess the draft ended 1975 when the war ended. 

I was a Navy brat. My grandfather was one of the last horse soldiers, I sold papers in the mess hall. The last thing I ever wanted to be was in the military. I was drafted, waiting for the bus to go to Fort Ord. They had 3 people too many and they called out my name as one to come in next the next month. I walked up to the guy at the desk and told him there was no way I will come back in here on my own two feet. He slid a sheet of paper across the desk and said " Write that down and sign it." I did, he said I was free to go. I waited at home, sure I would be taken away, but instead they gave me a 1Y. That was in early 68.

[ezzra]

Born in the early '50s i can now say without a doubt that i had many, many moments i now cherish dearly and with fond memories, pity though, it didn't felt so back than, when it did mattered the most.

[bunnydrops]

I loved the 60's, Painted VW bus, hair halfway down my back, I was there, Haight Ashbury, The Sunset Strip. Sitting across from The Birds and Bob Dylan at Canters Deli. Hitch a ride with Elvis on his way to the movie studio. Held the door open for Ray Charles at some converted railcar diner on the strip. "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you are with". 70s, not so much, Disco and Polyester. 80s, building log cabins in Sun Valley, 90s started my own construction company.