The Past isn't always how we remember it.
Memory is fickle. It blurs trivial details together, purges nonessential fluff, and (sometimes) fills in the blanks with imaginary data. One of the interesting things about writing a story set in a time period from your past is that your research into that period may surprise you. Sure, for some of you, your youth is a more recent season. For others, however, the world has changed, and we have as well.
The story I'm writing now is set in the mid 80's. (Yes, the 1980's. How old do you think I am?) By 1985, we were enthralled with our technological marvels. It was the time of big hair and a booming economy. Some guys wore mullets without losing a bet. You could actually watch pop/rock music on TV. Commuter trains filled with a new working class, the Yuppies. The world learned of a disturbing English dialect known only as Valley Girl. Some ordinary people wore parachute pants on purpose.
That's right. It wasn't perfect, but we were still impressed with our cleverness. Cell phones were the size of large dogs and communicated almost as well. It's one thing to remember using a rotary dial phone. It's another to remember using one on a party line. (No, it's not as much fun as it sounds.) Minimum wage hovered at $3.35/hour. People used the word, 'Literally', to mean exactly what they said. In spite of the suspected danger, the kitchen counters of working people sported a sci-fi device known as a microwave. Thanks to the economy, some people could even buy their own computer. Yes, one that could fit in their house. The Nintendo Entertainment System debuted in the US, transforming multiple generations into gamers.
As I looked deeper into the world of 1985, I discovered that some the music I remembered did not come out until later. Bon Jovi didn't start Livin' on a Prayer until 86. That was also the year that Peter Gabriel hit us with a Sledgehammer, Robert Palmer sought treatment for being Addicted to Love, and Cyndi Lauper revealed her True Colors.
It was the time of Back to the Future, New Coke, We Are the World, Calvin and Hobbes, and David Lee Roth leaving Van Halen. Was it a better time? We only knew that change was in the wind and the world would never be the same. For good or ill, we plunged into the future and hoped we wouldn't regret it. Looking back now, it seems that the world is no longer what it was and I am not who I used to be. That's a good thing. Every time period has challenges. While our circumstances change, humanity is largely the same as we have always been. Some of our mistakes and failings follow us like shadows throughout the ages. On the other hand, we sometimes learn from the past. This is our pattern. Sometimes it's helpful to look at what we've gained and what we've lost.
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