“WE ARE the CHILDREN of the EIGHTIES" We Are the Children of the Eighties

“WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE EIGHTIES" We are the children of the Eighties. We are not the first “lost generation” nor today’s lo s t generation. In fa ct, we think we know ju s t where we stand - or are discovering it as we speak. We are the ones who played with Lego Building Blocks when they were ju s t building blocks. We gave Malibu Barbie crew c u ts with safety scissors th a t never really cut. We collected Garbage Pail Kids and Cabbage Patcfi Kids and My Little Ponies and Hot Wheels. We collected He-Man action figures and thought th a t She- Ra looked ju s t a little b it like we would when we were women. Big Wheels and bicycles with streamers were the way to go, and sidewalk chalk was all we needed to build a city. Imagination was the key. It made the Ewok treehouse big enough for you to be Luke. It made the kitchen table and an old sheet dark enough to be a tent in the forest. Your world was the backyard and it was all you needed. With your pink portable Pocket Rocker. Debbie Gibson sang back up to you. Everyone wanted a skirt like the “ Material G irl" and a glove like Michael Jackson’s. Today, we are the ones who sing along with Bruce 5pringsteen and The Bangles perfectly and have no idea why. We recite lines with “Ghostbusters” and still look to “The Gooniee” for a great adventure. We flip through T.V. stations and stop at “The A-Team” and “Knight Rider” and “Fame." We laugh with “The Cosby Show” and “Family Ties” and “Punky Brewster" and “WHAT YOU TALKIN’ ‘BOUT. WILLIS?" We hold strong affections for The Muppets and The Gummy Bears. And why did they take “The Smurfs" and “Fraggle Rock” o ff the air, anyway? After school specials were only about cigarettes and step-families. “Romper Room” was nothing like “Barney,” and aren't the“Power Rangers” and “VR Troopers” ju st “Voltron” and “Transformers” reincarnated? Friendship bracelets were ties you couldn’t break and friendship pins went on shoes - preferably Velcro Reebox or Keds. Pegged jeans were in, as were Units belts and layered socks (E.G.’s), acid-washed jean jackets and Jams, charm necklaces, side ponies, and tails. White Rain was a girl’s best friend. Braces with colored rubber bands made you cool. The back door was always open and Mom served only red Kool-Aid to the neighborhood kids - never New Coke. Entertainment was cheap and lasted for hours. All you needed to be a princess were high heels and an apron. The S it ‘n’ Spin always made you dizzy but never made you stop. Pogoballs were dangerous weapons and Chinese Jump Ropes never failed to trip someone. In your Underoos you were Wonder Woman or Spider Man or R2D2 and in your treehouse you were king. In the Eighties, nothing was wrong. Did you even know th a t the president was shot? Did you ever play in a bomb shelter? Did you see the Challenger explode or feed a homeless man? We forgot Vietnam and watched Tiananmen’s Square on CNN. We bought pieces o f the Berlin Wall a t the store. AIDS was not the number one killer in the United States. We did NOT sta rt the fire. Billy Joel. In the Eighties, we redinfined the American Dream, and those years defined us. We are the generation in between strife and facing strife and we’re not turning our backs. The Eighties may have been idealistic, but it’s that idealism that will push us ahead and be passed on to our children - the first children of the twenty-first century. NEVER FORGET: WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE EIGHTIES! 2 6 9.

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