We've Been Here Before: A Gen X Reality Check

Every generation thinks theirs is the one who has faced the most change, evolution, or impact. I'd never argue with a Baby Boomer that their view of life hasn't been extraordinary. And I'd never dismiss a Gen Yer who's only ever lived in a digital age.

But for us Gen Xers? I think it's just hitting me how much has actually happened over the past 50 years.

Recency bias can make us think that the time we're living in right now—say, 2026—is the best, worst, most impactful, or craziest life has ever been. Sometimes I think that might be true. But when I look back, especially at my own lifetime, I'm reminded that things may have been better than they are today—but they've also been a lot worse.

So, I decided to delve into a time I have just a little memory of: the years of my youth, the 1970s and early 1980s.

I wish my parents were around to ask them about their perspectives during this time, but I assume they had their own biases too. I also think my children's generation looks back on this era with more nostalgia (think neon colors, parachute pants, and Madonna) than they truly understand what life was actually like compared to now.

Spoiler: It wasn't all just fun '80s music and big hair.

Where I Came From

In 1975, I was born into what was an American working-class family. My parents were very young, and my dad worked at a factory to provide for us. They came from completely different worlds.

My mom was born in post-World War II Germany and came to America in the 1960s. My grandfather—probably the first person I knew who had a computer in his home—built his career in the medical technology field and provided an idyllic middle-class life for his family.

My father, on the other hand, was born into a coal-mining family, the youngest of a large, relatively poor family in the Appalachian Mountains. He grew up in a humble shack on top of the mountain as the domestic steel industry was dying in the "rust belt," bringing economic devastation to communities throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio in the 1970s. He made his way to live with one of his older sisters in the Midwest as a teenager.

The Chicago suburbs offered opportunity for both my grandparents and my dad at a time when a lot of change was happening.

The 1970s: Political Chaos Edition

Much like today, the 1970s brought political upheaval that dominated the news.

Watergate led to the resignation of President Nixon. The end of the Vietnam War came in 1975. The economy was challenged with "stagflation"—stagnant growth and high inflation. There was an oil crisis that created fuel shortages, and the cost of living was rising, creating a sense of frustration and uncertainty.

Sound familiar?

Growing Up in the Shadow of Fear

The first president I remember was Ronald Reagan. Growing up in an Evangelical church in the Midwest during the conservative movement and "Reaganomics," I remember the days when the president made an address and it was literally the only thing on TV. (My kids definitely wouldn't understand that.)

We'd be shushed so our parents could listen as I adjusted the rabbit ears on top of our TV.

We grew more fearful of the world outside—the Russians in particular. It was the first time I learned about East and West Germany and the wall that divided them.

I also remember the first time I heard about AIDS—notably Ryan White—and the fear that came with it. Think 2020 pandemic-level fear. The AIDS quilt came through my school gym on its country-wide tour. (Anyone else remember that?)

This week's Artemis II launch brought back memories of the Challenger disaster when I watched it explode on a TV that had been rolled into my elementary school library. I have to say, I still hold my breath a little when any spaceship takes off.

But There Was Good Stuff Too

There were good things then too—like the emergence of shopping malls that became a normal staple in daily life. New fashions! Bigger hair! (So much bigger hair.)

I can still remember when we got our first cable box—more than four or five channels. Who knew that was possible?

The microwave made making food easier. And I loved when I could ride my bike all over our neighborhood (no helmets!) without fear and without my parents knowing where I was for most of the day. Try letting your kids do that now.

Why Looking Back Matters

Looking back can be really helpful when I think things aren't so great right now. It reminds me of the resilience and reimagining of our world over these past 50 years.

There are things today that are part of our everyday life—like our iPhones—that didn't even exist when I was born. Technology we take for granted would have seemed like science fiction in 1975.

What Hasn't Changed

But here's the thing that hasn't changed: people have taken care of one another. Supported each other through good and bad times. Become better educated about things they may not have previously understood. And new and exciting innovations continue to build out our American lives.

I am optimistic for the world my children and their children's generations will be part of. It makes me more confident when I look back and say, "We got through that."

Because we did. And we will again.