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xepherys · 10-24-2004, 10:17 PM

Does anyone else ever yearn for yesteryear? Being born in the late 70's, I often look back on the bulk of the 80's with a sigh of longing. As a product of the 80's, I wonder what ever happened to the excitement and intrigue that life held back then. Not just from an age standpoint, either.

At that time, the Cold War was an everyday item. The USSR and the USA were toe to toe and everyone knew it, even kids in elementary school. There was a sort of mysticism about the Soviets and the situation of the world at large. Modern technology was just in it's infancy. The personal computer was being born. Science was making grand new leaps forward. Every new discovery, invention or change in the geo-political climate was intense. Everyone felt it. Kids, from young to college age were going through something very different... very unique. The music, the culture... it almost felt electric.

During the 90's that started to change. Business got big, tech got bigger, the world got smaller and life got less exciting. Discoveries still came in at lightning speed, but none of it was as interesting. There was less "wow-factor" in anything. It was almost expected that things would change monthly, weekly or daily. The wonder drug of yesterday was tomorrow's cause of cancer. Everything began to rapidly spiral into a sense of platonic acceptance of life.

Now in the 2st century, the era that sci-fi writers of days gone by dreamt of, we seem to have gone so much backwards in so many ways. Technology doesn't change every year or even every day now. It changes by the second, news is poured forth over the ether to the masses around the world. Every event is logged into the annals of history with speed and accuracy never before imagined. Life changes in the blink of an eye, not whenever a major event happens (9/11, Vietnam, WWII, Kennedy Assassination, etc.) but all the time... period! Life is a blur of knowledge without climax.

As I sit here looking up info on the musical Chess I realize how much things are different. Frankly, I'm not sure I'm happy with how things have turned out. Sure, the world is in conflict, just like always. But it's not at conflict with stable, common enemies. It's a crap-shoot. A free-for-all of those willing to die for no other reason than to kill others. There's no intrigue anymore, no romatic vision of espionage and spies, no pride to well up from the Olympics or the World Chess Championships. There's just life, for whatever we have to take it as.

Anyone have any clue what I'm rambling about?

10-24-2004, 10:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	Miss the year's gone by!? Does anyone else ever yearn for yesteryear? Being born in the late 70's, I often look back on the bulk of the 80's with a sigh of longing. As a product of the 80's, I wonder what ever happened to the excitement and intrigue that life held back then. Not just from an age standpoint, either. At that time, the Cold War was an everyday item. The USSR and the USA were toe to toe and everyone knew it, even kids in elementary school. There was a sort of mysticism about the Soviets and the situation of the world at large. Modern technology was just in it's infancy. The personal computer was being born. Science was making grand new leaps forward. Every new discovery, invention or change in the geo-political climate was intense. Everyone felt it. Kids, from young to college age were going through something very different... very unique. The music, the culture... it almost felt electric. During the 90's that started to change. Business got big, tech got bigger, the world got smaller and life got less exciting. Discoveries still came in at lightning speed, but none of it was as interesting. There was less "wow-factor" in anything. It was almost expected that things would change monthly, weekly or daily. The wonder drug of yesterday was tomorrow's cause of cancer. Everything began to rapidly spiral into a sense of platonic acceptance of life. Now in the 2st century, the era that sci-fi writers of days gone by dreamt of, we seem to have gone so much backwards in so many ways. Technology doesn't change every year or even every day now. It changes by the second, news is poured forth over the ether to the masses around the world. Every event is logged into the annals of history with speed and accuracy never before imagined. Life changes in the blink of an eye, not whenever a major event happens (9/11, Vietnam, WWII, Kennedy Assassination, etc.) but all the time... period! Life is a blur of knowledge without climax. As I sit here looking up info on the musical Chess I realize how much things are different. Frankly, I'm not sure I'm happy with how things have turned out. Sure, the world is in conflict, just like always. But it's not at conflict with stable, common enemies. It's a crap-shoot. A free-for-all of those willing to die for no other reason than to kill others. There's no intrigue anymore, no romatic vision of espionage and spies, no pride to well up from the Olympics or the World Chess Championships. There's just life, for whatever we have to take it as. Anyone have any clue what I'm rambling about?