May your birthday be a celebration not only of another year around the sun but also of the connections, reflections, and insights that shape your journey. Happy birthday!
"The isolation of staring at a screen", there's a whole book for you to write on that alone! Happy early Birthday my love, wishing you a beautiful week 💕
Happy, happy birthday, LRT! I hope you're still celebrating! (I believe in starting early and staying late.) The 80s were amazing. Running home for Afterschool Specials, or staying home "sick" if there was an important ep of "General Hospital", and let us not forget Oprah's rise. Kids had independence in the 80s (latchkey kids were a thing). We were made aware that bad things could happen (child abductions...and worse). We were tough. And silly. We had imaginations. Dallas, Dynasty, movies-of-the-week. We only had 3 major networks. We all watched the same things. And we were connected by that. My generation watched the Women's Liberation Movement come, the ERA fail, and ACT UP stand up and fight for the rights of those with HIV/AIDS. We had phones in our rooms, answering machines, made emergency break-throughs, made mix tapes, passed notes in and in between classes. And we believed things would only get better. Now, I hope it will. xo
Haha thank you. It’s not until tomorrow, but I’m celebrating a bit all week haha. Well, in from the U.K. so I think we probyhad different experiences in the 80s, at least culturally. But I also still hope things will get better xx
Some really good points I wouldn’t have considered. I do think it’s interesting that, from a feminist perspective, the ease of getting divorced and the increased number of women becoming independent through work is tied to loneliness. Whose loneliness, I wonder? While wife/mom was around less maybe, her added income improved quality of life in some other key ways.
From a geezer born in the eay40’s to a future geezer, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY birthday old man!
My in between generation straddles the coming of age of 50s and 60s where culture revolution was epic, (rock n roll was revolutionary as well as sexual mores).
Isolation was much less back then but I think you missed a couple points, neighborhoods and the pill.
City and suburban neighborhoods were much more stable AND heterogeneous, mixed income and education of residents. Staring in the 70s perhaps due to end of racial segregation folks scrambled to be birds of a feather in income and education backgrounds. Neighborhood cohesion was shattered.
The pill caused a sexual revolution and by end of 70s sex had won and family newspapers were filled with classified. swinger ads. Then the Red Guards of AIDS swept away promiscuous decal action and meeting in a bar and tromping off to bed ended. The Hugh gay bath houses closed and the swinging ads ceased.
Now we’re isolated in our income and education niche roost afraid to get close to fellow birds because of disease, AIDS and COVID. Of course there are facials you submit I just add my petty opinion.
Thinking about it a little more I will be culturally in Ian’s name 2 BIG social changes that have increased isolation, the dramatic decrease in smoking and drinking. See The Apartment movie and Xmas party to understand.
Drugs are the ultimate isolation high while nicotine and alcohol are social interactions.
How poignant to connect the isolation of a decade (and after) to AIDS. On top of a frightening virus, the gay community had to fear this related rejection.
Isolation and loneliness certainly overlap, but maybe not always.
Sad to say, the 1980's may well be the time when, alongside social factors you identify, increasing poverty, ill health & disability, aging population, poor community services, became crucial factors in growing isolation especially for the elderly.
Agreed, I feel this so much. Yes that’s a good and magical thing that’s we can reach out and makes pals, like your awesome self. Aww thank you sweetie x
We're getting lonelier and lonelier with each decade. This was highly informative. Thank goodness still for the digital divide being so small that we can make friends from all parts of the world and be instantly connected. Happy almost birthday, my awesome friend from across the pond!
Thoughtful, ranging piece. The force of your suggestion of 1980s developments shaping so much of what has followed ..... There are these various reversing-trends, yearnings for older "retro"! kinds of connection and tangibility, and all these "copings" as you say, but also this inexorability of the last four-decades-or-so that you capture, nail, so neatly. An exciting time to be alive, but... Thank you LRT.
🕹️📺☎️🎞️
May your birthday be a celebration not only of another year around the sun but also of the connections, reflections, and insights that shape your journey. Happy birthday!
Happy birthday, Matt!
Thank you lovely 🥰
"The isolation of staring at a screen", there's a whole book for you to write on that alone! Happy early Birthday my love, wishing you a beautiful week 💕
Haha how did you know I was writing a book?!? Aww thank you sweetheart that’s very kind of you xx
I didn't, but I am overjoyed to hear it! You'll have to sign my copy xx
It would be my pleasure my love 😍
Happy, happy birthday, LRT! I hope you're still celebrating! (I believe in starting early and staying late.) The 80s were amazing. Running home for Afterschool Specials, or staying home "sick" if there was an important ep of "General Hospital", and let us not forget Oprah's rise. Kids had independence in the 80s (latchkey kids were a thing). We were made aware that bad things could happen (child abductions...and worse). We were tough. And silly. We had imaginations. Dallas, Dynasty, movies-of-the-week. We only had 3 major networks. We all watched the same things. And we were connected by that. My generation watched the Women's Liberation Movement come, the ERA fail, and ACT UP stand up and fight for the rights of those with HIV/AIDS. We had phones in our rooms, answering machines, made emergency break-throughs, made mix tapes, passed notes in and in between classes. And we believed things would only get better. Now, I hope it will. xo
Haha thank you. It’s not until tomorrow, but I’m celebrating a bit all week haha. Well, in from the U.K. so I think we probyhad different experiences in the 80s, at least culturally. But I also still hope things will get better xx
Some really good points I wouldn’t have considered. I do think it’s interesting that, from a feminist perspective, the ease of getting divorced and the increased number of women becoming independent through work is tied to loneliness. Whose loneliness, I wonder? While wife/mom was around less maybe, her added income improved quality of life in some other key ways.
From a geezer born in the eay40’s to a future geezer, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY birthday old man!
My in between generation straddles the coming of age of 50s and 60s where culture revolution was epic, (rock n roll was revolutionary as well as sexual mores).
Isolation was much less back then but I think you missed a couple points, neighborhoods and the pill.
City and suburban neighborhoods were much more stable AND heterogeneous, mixed income and education of residents. Staring in the 70s perhaps due to end of racial segregation folks scrambled to be birds of a feather in income and education backgrounds. Neighborhood cohesion was shattered.
The pill caused a sexual revolution and by end of 70s sex had won and family newspapers were filled with classified. swinger ads. Then the Red Guards of AIDS swept away promiscuous decal action and meeting in a bar and tromping off to bed ended. The Hugh gay bath houses closed and the swinging ads ceased.
Now we’re isolated in our income and education niche roost afraid to get close to fellow birds because of disease, AIDS and COVID. Of course there are facials you submit I just add my petty opinion.
Haha thank you kindly!
Thinking about it a little more I will be culturally in Ian’s name 2 BIG social changes that have increased isolation, the dramatic decrease in smoking and drinking. See The Apartment movie and Xmas party to understand.
Drugs are the ultimate isolation high while nicotine and alcohol are social interactions.
Happy early birthday. Thank you for being so damn kind. <3
Aww thank you lovely!!! You’re so welcome 💕
How poignant to connect the isolation of a decade (and after) to AIDS. On top of a frightening virus, the gay community had to fear this related rejection.
Some good music there 🩵
Isolation and loneliness certainly overlap, but maybe not always.
Sad to say, the 1980's may well be the time when, alongside social factors you identify, increasing poverty, ill health & disability, aging population, poor community services, became crucial factors in growing isolation especially for the elderly.
Agreed, I feel this so much. Yes that’s a good and magical thing that’s we can reach out and makes pals, like your awesome self. Aww thank you sweetie x
We're getting lonelier and lonelier with each decade. This was highly informative. Thank goodness still for the digital divide being so small that we can make friends from all parts of the world and be instantly connected. Happy almost birthday, my awesome friend from across the pond!
Thoughtful, ranging piece. The force of your suggestion of 1980s developments shaping so much of what has followed ..... There are these various reversing-trends, yearnings for older "retro"! kinds of connection and tangibility, and all these "copings" as you say, but also this inexorability of the last four-decades-or-so that you capture, nail, so neatly. An exciting time to be alive, but... Thank you LRT.