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| Our original family |
Half my life ago, December 5, 1987, I celebrated my twenty-sixth birthday. My family consisted of my husband, golden retriever, and a five-month pregnant belly. I stayed up until midnight every night and then drove to work after filling my Honda with 95¢ a gallon gas.
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| My men. Wasn't my husband a fox? |
My teaching job paid one-third of what I earn today, but it didn't matter because we could see our World Series Champion Cardinals for $9.24 a ticket and buy a McDonald's hamburger for 45¢, without worrying about what it would do to our bodies. We paid 22¢ to mail letters because we didn't have a computer or internet. I'd heard rumors about this thing called "the information super highway" but couldn't fathom what that actually meant.
Ronald Reagan sat in the Oval Office, even though I'd voted for John Anderson. I didn't know about the electoral college and still believed a third-party candidate could win. Although my independent won the popular vote in California, the electoral votes went to Reagan.
We enjoyed Dirty Dancing for under $4.00 a ticket and wondered how one could be as crazy as Glenn Close's character from Fatal Attraction. We still enjoyed going to bars (I didn't drink while pregnant) where we'd dance to Michael Jackson's Bad or George Michael's Faith. After a night of dancing in heels, my back didn't even hurt.
Looking back, I realize I've spent more of my life with my husband than without him, which means I am dang old.
I leave you with a clip of top songs from December 5, 1987.
Lovely look back. In 1987 I was watching my eldest child graduate from high school and enter adulthood.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, he is a fox!
Growing old(er!) with someone can be a wonderful thing!
ReplyDeleteSo cool - that you have spent over half your life with your husband.
ReplyDeleteDec. of 1987 I was finishing my first semester of college.
Using your logic, I am not old as I have spent less than 1/3 of my life with my hubby. So, if I am one month older than you, and I am still young - you have nothing to worry about (for at least another 11 years).
ReplyDeleteEither you've found a good point or my logic is poor.
DeleteYes, you're right, memories give us our identity!
ReplyDeleteOh man - it's amazing to see how much prices of things have gone up since then. Wow. 95 cents for a gallon of gas...imagine?
ReplyDeleteMy mom complained when gas shot up from 28¢ to 32¢. "Gas prices are so high!" she'd say.
DeleteMemories are all we collect :)
ReplyDeleteI too have almost been with my husband for half my life. Now I feel old! LOL
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed that post Joyce and the photo's heheh! the songs in the vid brought back some memories, don't know about you but when i hear older songs i can always picture where i was and who with when i first heard it.
ReplyDeleteHave a vintagetastic day :-)
ps: I can close my calculator now ;-)
You know what, there is something magica about the days that people didn't have a computer or mobile device in front of their faces. I think relationships were a lot more genuine then. Of course in 1987 I was six years old, but I I've grown up seeing the transformation, and I'm not sure its all positive. Enjoyed reading this post. :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. new follower here from The Thumping Thursday Hop on Networked blogs!
Great walk down memory lane! I remember when things were that cheap too. Times sure have changed!
ReplyDeleteAnother June baby! I turned 40 this year, yay!
ReplyDeleteI remember most of these things. Dirty Dancing-tee hee-my friend still talks about that movie :)
Nope. I'm a December baby.
DeleteI never got married (your husband WAS nice-looking, btw, and you were pretty, too!), but I bet I can make you feel like a little baby! When I was a teenager, my mother taught in small towns and we would eat in small local cafes. Elvis Presley's Hound Dog and Jail House Rock would be playing on the juke box, to say nothing of Rock around the Clock. Gasoline actually cost about 28 cents a gallon and you could buy a whole week's worth of groceries for under $20. I think movies were maybe 50 cents. And we sometimes bought hamburgers at a little neighborhood stand and took them home - 5 hamburgers for a dollar! They were small but they were the best hamburgers I ever ate in my whole life!
ReplyDeleteI remember 28¢ a gallon gas when I was a kid.
DeleteWhat a memory you have, Joyce! Dang! I don't know how you can recall what things cost, etc., 26 years ago. I can barely manage to remember what I ate for breakfast. LOL!
ReplyDeleteWell, anyway, thanks for the memories . . .
Blessings to you!
I'm a good researcher of 1987 prices.
DeleteLife is full of changes. Sounds like you have some beautiful memories.
ReplyDeleteHi Joyce ~~ This is a nice post. I remember the 80's but listene to 60's and 70's music mostly. R.E.M. was a catchy name and of course Whitney H, the whold world listened to her.
ReplyDeletePrices? Always higher, doubling nilly willy. They don't go down.
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Great post. I don't remember prices that well. I was in college, the white ivory sanctuary? not sure what they call it. I loved college and I remember watching every single video on MTV when all they showed was music videos. Those were the days. You can't find any stations now that just show music videos 24,7. I could spend hours watching them and study at the same time. Hard to believe that I was 21 and had my first legal summer. I didn't take advantage of it much; other than go to the music bars to listen to the bands and dance. I was in a college town.
ReplyDeleteI loved this! I remember when gas was $0.95 a gallon and I thought that was high! I don't, however, remember seeing the Cardinals for $9.24. Do you know a beer is $7.50 there now, before tip?! What a rip off!
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun post. I remember when my mom went to see Dirty Dancing with her friends. I was so mad at her that she didn't take me, although I was about 8 years old and it wasn't at all appropriate.
It's funny what you remember. :-)
Omg....I knew all the words to every single song on that Top Hit list. this can't be good. Is this good? Yes, even the Debbie Gibson one. I feel sick..... LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how things have changed isn't it?
I remember stubby beer bottles!!
I had my chin tucked during the late 80's, it was the decade of double full time jobs, but I remember what an impression Fatal Attraction had on my ex.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed interesting to think of how our life was half a life ago. I was in my second last year of college. The best years of my life, as many say. Glad to have connected with you Joyce, we not only have names starting with a J, we also share the same Date of Birth too. :)
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this! It took me back to a great year!!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your post and the video - took me back in time. Nice pics too. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete