What era do you wish you were born into?
It seems to me that every generation tends to wish, at some point, that they had been born into a different era. For instance, the children of the 60’s (like me), romanticized the 1950’s to a ridiculous extent, imagining a ficticious “simpler” time of leather jackets, car hops on roller skates, dances at the gym and wholesome, “happy days”. Of course, this ignored the reality of oppressive racism, sexism, McCarthyism, the Korean War, the Cold War and backyard bomb shelters, but what the heck — I mean, roller skating car hops! So I’ve been wondering — do any of today’s youth wish they had been teenagers in the 60’s or 70’s? Will future generations long for the golden days of the double zeroes? What about you? Do you ever wish you were born into a different era — and if so, which one?
May 18th, 2007 at 10:44 am
I came of age in the 60s, which I hated! I wanted things to be clean and simple, with everyone following the rules, and instead here was all this turmoil and revolution and bad hair. My fantasy at the time was to be a teenager in the 50s, when I imagined the kids all dressed nicely and hung out in malt shops. And everyone knew the rules of behavior and was polite. (Snort!) Sounds just like the movie “Pleasantville,” doesn’t it? Now that I’m old and wise (snort again!) I know that every era has its troubles, and I’m comfortable with who I am now and with my current era. But I sure would have liked to hang out in a malt shop!
May 20th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Maybe it is just that I am older than you, and do remember a little bit of the 50s, but I was never particularly fond of the era. I associate it with “duck and cover” drills, crawling under my desk in elementary school. I also remember being overwhelmingly afraid of communists because when Khrushchev said “We will bury you!” I took it literally. I really thought we were all going to be buried alive! I actually remember the 60s with affection, even though much of what happened was quite tragic. I just felt that there was such an energy, and so much opportunity to “get involved” with numerous movements for social justice reaching their peak. It made me feel hopeful, and a part of something — historic, I guess. Maybe it was my age (I was only 16 in the “Summer of Love”) but I do still have romantic memories of the decade, and at times I miss it.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I love the fact that I came of age in the Sixties….. I always thought the 50’s were uptight, repressed times (despite my love for 50’s girls literature, like Beany Malone and the Career Romance books!) ….. my parents were fairly strict, and as the 60’s progressed (I turned 15 in the summer of Love, 1967) and young people pushed the envelope further and further, there was not much they could do as pop culture swirled around us and youth changed the world. …..
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:58 am
honest answer? the 1660s in england
because of charles II
but a realistic answer? i wish i’d been born a few years earlier because i missed out on the 50s and the best of the hippie years. sister envy, perhaps? but i’m sort of a tweener - i turned 13 in 1970 - so what is there to say about “my era”? if i were only 3 or 4 years older, i’d have a legit claim to the 60s! and who wants disco as their “coming of age” music? not this cat…
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:47 am
You can probably guess from my name which era I choose. I totally agree with daughter, misskitty and crow. The 1960s were very special, and I am glad that was when I came of age. I wonder if anyone, anywhere, anytime will EVER say “gee, I sure wish I could have experienced the 1970s”??? What a nothing decade. Well, okay, 1976 was one of my two most favorite years, but just because that was the year my first daughter was born. Other than that, the whole decade was pretty much a bust.
May 24th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I totally agree with flowerchild about the 70s. I graduated from high school in 1972 and even at the time I thought I had been gypped. We were just a hair too late for the hippie era but had no particular movement going on for our own generation. Everything felt like we were following our older siblings, tagging along just like when we were little. The 70s were ugly hair, ugly clothes, and ugly dancing unless you were really good at disco. (I wasn’t.) And ugly interior decorating, too! At one time in the 70s we had green and orange shag carpeting. And that fake wood panelling. Yes, a truly unfortunate decade.
May 17th, 2008 at 6:02 am
I was born on April 1st 1920 so that all I have to do is subtract 20 from any year to calculate my age, so that makes me 88 now and I am relativley happy which means that I only have to live 12 more years for a happy 100+.