thursday 13: feral child memories

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Born in 1970, I’m a feral Gen X child. I am definitely of the FAFOF*ck Around and Find Out philosophy. Was it a weird time? Sure. But I have fond memories. Here’s a collection of 1970’s nostalgia for you!

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1. satin basketball shorts

I had these babies in every color combo known to man. I was a roller skating diva at a young age, and these were standard uniform. My favorites were lavender with pink edging. I also had a slammin’ satin unicorn bomber-style jacket I wore with them. I scoured the internet for a picture, but couldn’t find a single one. A shame. Because I’d wear that baby now!

source: Etsy

2. disco, baby

I remember my parents taking a disco dancing class at the sports complex at SUNY Potsdam when I was single-digit young. I’ve always loved dancing as an art form, whether doing it or watching it. I’m sure it started with disco. I used to go to the class and watch the adults. Then after a couple of classes, one of the teachers noticed me mimicking by the side, killing those moves. After that, I became her male assistant’s demonstration partner.

3. rotary phones with miles-long cords

Oh, the days when your index finger got a workout. I can still hear the noise of the rotary as it spins back into place. It was a time when privacy solely depended on the length of your phone cord. Ours was LONG. Our phone was just inside the family room, and I could get it through the kitchen and into the dining room, shutting the door between the latter.

This one looks just like the one we had, although ours was a little more mustardy.

source: Etsy

4. 8-tracks

The first 8-track I remember owning was A Night at the Opera by Queen. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” baby. Still my jam.

5. the iconic Farrah Fawcett

There was barely a father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and/or male friend that did not have this poster somewhere. My father had it on the wall in his home office. All of my friends’ fathers had it on their walls. It was in every store. It was EVERYWHERE. Farrah Fawcett was the Baywatch Babe, the epitome of Charlie’s Angels, with her feathered hair and big smile. RIP, Queen…

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6. the terror of Jaws

Was there a movie more terrifying? Did I see it at entirely too young an age? Yup. Welcome to the feral generation

7. the collected works of John Saul

I read this debut novel when it released… in 1977. For those of you not familiar with the story, I guarantee you it is not within the realm of generally accepted views of age-appropriate. Again, welcome to the feral generation. Here’s the blurb, if you don’t believe me.

Innocence dies so easily. Evil lives again . . . and again . . . and again.

One hundred years ago in Port Arbello a pretty little girl began to scream. And struggle. And die. No one heard. No one saw. Just one man whose guilty heart burst in pain as he dashed himself to death in the sea.

Now something peculiar is happening in Port Arbello. The children are disappearing, one by one. An evil history is repeating itself. And one strange, terrified child has ended her silence with a scream that began a hundred years ago.

That being said, it instilled a lifelong love of John Saul and the horror genre.

Amazon

8. Tiger Beat

The quintessential teenybopper fan mag. I loved me some Tiger Beat. Its purchase was a moment. I dived into it and read it from cover to cover. Ironically, I think I OD’d on celeb stuff as a kid. Now, I could care less about most celeb gossip. But Tiger Beat was everything. I lived for the issues with David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, Andy Gibb, and Leif Garrett.

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9. Fonzie and Happy Days

Ayyyy. Nothing says my childhood like the Fonz and Happy Days. Love, love, love. Still.

10. Evel Knievel

I don’t know what it was about this guy, but we were GLUED to the TV whenever he was doing one of his jumps.

11. the iconic power couple

Sally Fields and Burt Reynolds… they were everywhere. They met on the set of Smokey and the Bandit in 1977 and dated off and on until the early 80s. They starred in 4 movies together, but the relationship wasn’t all that sunny. Fields has said that Reynolds was jealous of Fields’ success, that he become controlling and emotionally abusive. But Reynolds maintained to the end of his life that she was the love of his life. They hadn’t spoken in 30 years by the time he passed away.

12. earworms…

In my opinion, this song is one of the biggest earworms of the 1970s. It plays, I sing. Always. And then it stays in my head for days.

13. aspic delights (gag)

The fact that I’m still alive sometimes astounds me. I drank straight from the hose, and I ate aspic. A lot of it.

What sick bastard thought that tuna belong in gelatin? Or taco ingredients? Or shrimp? Or cheese in fruit… in the same mold?

If you really hate life and want to try the dish in the photo, here you go.