Growing Up In The 80’s

Nostalgia - This photo I found online, really reminds me of what it was like to grow up in the 70s and 80s
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Growing Up In The 70s and 80s

Many of these photos not only bring back fond memories of the 70s and 80s but many of the items in the photos are no longer the same or have completely vanished. I can smell the Play-Doh by just looking at the photo. 

Book Reading Challenges

Back in the 80s we were incentivised to read books, by getting a reward. In the summer if we read so many books, or during the school year, we got a prize like a pan pizza from Pizza Hut. We had to prove to the teacher that we read the books and when they were convinced, we got a check mark for that book. Collecting our goal was a big thing back then. Why, because we didn’t get a star on our paper unless we aced it, period.

Grey Poupon Mustard

Grey Poupon’s 80s TV campaigns were designed to make you think that it was a product that the rich used. Here is one of their commercials from that time frame.

Below is an 80s Grey Poupon commercial (the first one actually)

Playing Video Games on The Floor

When our parents finally purchased a video game system, we often had to use an old 13″ television on the floor in the family room to play it. We didn’t mind, we played games for hours this way.

No such thing as a DVR in the 80s

There was no such thing as a DVR in the 80s, in fact, many households did have a VCR yet either, so if you missed a TV show, you missed it forever. The first VCR was released in 1978, so many families couldn’t afford one until the mid to late 80s.

Quicksand should be avoided

Every 80s TV show portrayed quicksand as if it was going to be around every corner and you would certainly encounter it more than once in your lifetime.

Social Media in the 80s

The neighborhood kids didn’t use the phone to see if you can come out to play. They came to your door and we would play for hours and hours outside, usually skipping meals and coming home when the streetlights came on, or if you were out in the country, it was when the fireflies came out.

“Mrs. Average, can Joe come out and play?”

Reading the cereal box

The back of the cereal box had games and quizzes on them, we would read it while we were eating breakfast in the morning.

Getting your pictures back after being processed

When you took a photo, you didn’t get to see it instantly, you had to wait until you used the entire roll of film up, which was usually 24 or 36 photos. Then you either took it to KMart or sent it via the mail to be processed. You would get back an envelope that contained the photos and the negatives.

It was always fun trying to figure out what in the hell is that blurry photo of and why is there this bright orange streak running through it, lol.

Silly putty

Silly Putty was a clay-like substance that would stretch for what seemed like miles. It also had the ability to transfer the ink from the newspaper to itself.

Below is an early Silly Putty commercial from that time period.

Talking on the phone

If we were allowed to use the phone, it had a cord that was about 6 feet long, so we had to sit or lay on the floor near the phone. But we didn’t mind, it was just normal in the 80s.

Play-Doh

Many kids today, never got to play with Play-doh, which is a colored modeling clay-like substance. We would mold things for hours, then it would dry out and be useless. It also had a very distinctive smell to it, not a bad smell either.

Below is a TV commercial for Play-doh, during that time period.

Bicycle pedal, shin grater

Bicycles were our mode of transportation, we didn’t have anything else besides our feet. Most bikes had these types of pedals that were designed for less slipping. If you slipped, your damn shins were torn up by these things.

Making faces

We were told that if we made a face and held it, it would stick that way forever, so of course, we tried.

I hate you

If we didn’t like someone, we would color them out in the yearbook. We didn’t have the ability to block them like you can on Social Media today. Then later if we became friends, we would make sure to hide that yearbook from them, lol

Magic Slate Paper Saver

You could write or draw on this thing, and when you were done, you simply pull up the plastic and it would be erased.

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Average Joe

Welcome to the Average Joe Weekly blog. This is basically my place on the web where I can help spread some of the knowledge that I have accumulated over the years. I served 10+ years in the Marine Corps on Active Duty, but that was some 25 years ago.

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By Average Joe

Welcome to the Average Joe Weekly blog. This is basically my place on the web where I can help spread some of the knowledge that I have accumulated over the years. I served 10+ years in the Marine Corps on Active Duty, but that was some 25 years ago.

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