Absolutely amazing life back then! My parents were DIRT poor. They were always having the talk with me that we may have to move in with relatives. The only reason we had a home I believe is due to my father’s childhood friends. At age 7, I was exploring forests and creeks miles from my home, built forts in the woods, walked to the mall with friends and took samples from the Pepperidge Farm store samples as my lunch or eating at friends homes. I drank from friends outdoor water hoses, no one carried water around. I was expected home when the street lights went on. My mother did not have me until she was 40 and was the first woman to own a car in her community, so her and her friends traveled often. She wanted the same for me, so at 11 allowed me to take a Greyhound alone to visit and stay with my friend’s family that had moved to the middle of New York state. We visited, lake placid, thousand islands and learned to sail on one of the finger lakes. (Later in my 30’s found out, just like riding a bike, I remembered how to sail while visiting Mission Beach in San Diego). Back then all travel direction was using folded up maps that took a scientist to figure out how to re-fold properly.
Moved out at 17 with a group of guys. Lived in a massive apartment in a Victorian townhouse mansion near the university. At 20, friends with rich parents were buying massive mansions for 200K together in a seriously run down neighborhoods. I got a job working for Kinko’s and moved up to manager for DTP. I bought a 25K 2bdrm condo in a very old building in historic neighborhood that was a mix of rich and dirt poor. At 27, Sold it for a nice profit and invested in a condo that was just was just a developer’s paper dream condo building at the time. Located in a lot in the city business district. I somehow got a job working in a datacenter, NO DEGREE, but loved computers. I lived through the time before desktop computers and cell phones, so there were no courses on how to do anything. I started on Word, PageMaker versions 1.0 with Netscape browser. Then my roommate got a job working on Apple’s first business office in the city and he brought home a Mac Plus. I often chuckle that the only difference between Eliza app and Chatgpt is speed and access to everyone else’s data. Actually, I do not remember Eliza ever lying.
I do miss companies coming out with all the cool electronic devices. I wish I still had my Sony pager like slider that worked as a phone on data only networks, no need for a monthly cell plan when accessed with public networks. Or my slim phone with face cover switch plates that fit in my pocket, back then, I had all my important numbers memorized even though it did have an electronic phone book. All my older friends had expensive stereo racks with knobs and equalizers that I had little understanding but I knew which sliders to move to make it loud. All stereos had huge wood speaker boxes to sound decent.
I was still living on noodles with tuna but was introduced to curry which made cheap meals amazing. Got a job working overnight in a datacenter for a hospital. When I eventually bought and moved into my second condo, it had views of the river, the video billboard inside of the stadium and views the tallest tower in the city. My living room had a glass garage door that opened to a wrap around balcony. My mortgage was $700 a month for a 2 bed, 2 bath place that looks like it belonged in New York. But honestly it was far better because I could walk to hundreds of bars and new restaurants. Biked trails along the river. Always concert events in the city and the people were far friendlier than the many times spent in larger cities. It was always satisfying to pull out my phone photos when some big city dude joking about me being from a fly-over-city. My friends in Indianapolis were watching the home of a couple that owned a downtown building and invited me to stay with them for the weekend. Lenny Kravitz was performing in Meridian Park for free. We had to-go cups of liquor, roller blades and had a blast drunk skating around the park. Police never bothered us even though our group was just about every ethnicity. Sadly, looking back now, it was likely we were not bothered since we were a mixed group and fairly well dressed with expensive skates.
Now that I am an old GenX man I do have some advice, it’s not where you live, but how you live. Question everything. Listen to advice from trusted sources, but only take that advice after thorough research on how it applies to YOU. Beware, most advice is almost always FOR the person or companies giving it. My best decisions were going against the advice of friends and today going against the advice of companies. Their advice helped me define and verify my thoughts. My friends understandably do not want me to take risks, and neither do I. But big dreams and taking calculated risks were definitely easier when younger and in places that are not as popular. Make it work for you with what you have. Easier said than done these days. Beware of short term gains for long term loss, it’s been a game that too many Americans fall for and ONLY things that seemed to be offered today. Happiness is not what you have, but how you live and the friends you make.
I now live in Hawaii. Monetarily it’s expensive to feed myself and my pets. Will likely have to go back to getting roommates or sizing down. Shanty houses go for 1 million and condos start at 500k for 1 bedroom. The weather is worth it because being outside is free.
Absolutely amazing life back then! My parents were DIRT poor. They were always having the talk with me that we may have to move in with relatives. The only reason we had a home I believe is due to my father’s childhood friends. At age 7, I was exploring forests and creeks miles from my home, built forts in the woods, walked to the mall with friends and took samples from the Pepperidge Farm store samples as my lunch or eating at friends homes. I drank from friends outdoor water hoses, no one carried water around. I was expected home when the street lights went on. My mother did not have me until she was 40 and was the first woman to own a car in her community, so her and her friends traveled often. She wanted the same for me, so at 11 allowed me to take a Greyhound alone to visit and stay with my friend’s family that had moved to the middle of New York state. We visited, lake placid, thousand islands and learned to sail on one of the finger lakes. (Later in my 30’s found out, just like riding a bike, I remembered how to sail while visiting Mission Beach in San Diego). Back then all travel direction was using folded up maps that took a scientist to figure out how to re-fold properly.
Moved out at 17 with a group of guys. Lived in a massive apartment in a Victorian townhouse mansion near the university. At 20, friends with rich parents were buying massive mansions for 200K together in a seriously run down neighborhoods. I got a job working for Kinko’s and moved up to manager for DTP. I bought a 25K 2bdrm condo in a very old building in historic neighborhood that was a mix of rich and dirt poor. At 27, Sold it for a nice profit and invested in a condo that was just was just a developer’s paper dream condo building at the time. Located in a lot in the city business district. I somehow got a job working in a datacenter, NO DEGREE, but loved computers. I lived through the time before desktop computers and cell phones, so there were no courses on how to do anything. I started on Word, PageMaker versions 1.0 with Netscape browser. Then my roommate got a job working on Apple’s first business office in the city and he brought home a Mac Plus. I often chuckle that the only difference between Eliza app and Chatgpt is speed and access to everyone else’s data. Actually, I do not remember Eliza ever lying.
I do miss companies coming out with all the cool electronic devices. I wish I still had my Sony pager like slider that worked as a phone on data only networks, no need for a monthly cell plan when accessed with public networks. Or my slim phone with face cover switch plates that fit in my pocket, back then, I had all my important numbers memorized even though it did have an electronic phone book. All my older friends had expensive stereo racks with knobs and equalizers that I had little understanding but I knew which sliders to move to make it loud. All stereos had huge wood speaker boxes to sound decent.
I was still living on noodles with tuna but was introduced to curry which made cheap meals amazing. Got a job working overnight in a datacenter for a hospital. When I eventually bought and moved into my second condo, it had views of the river, the video billboard inside of the stadium and views the tallest tower in the city. My living room had a glass garage door that opened to a wrap around balcony. My mortgage was $700 a month for a 2 bed, 2 bath place that looks like it belonged in New York. But honestly it was far better because I could walk to hundreds of bars and new restaurants. Biked trails along the river. Always concert events in the city and the people were far friendlier than the many times spent in larger cities. It was always satisfying to pull out my phone photos when some big city dude joking about me being from a fly-over-city. My friends in Indianapolis were watching the home of a couple that owned a downtown building and invited me to stay with them for the weekend. Lenny Kravitz was performing in Meridian Park for free. We had to-go cups of liquor, roller blades and had a blast drunk skating around the park. Police never bothered us even though our group was just about every ethnicity. Sadly, looking back now, it was likely we were not bothered since we were a mixed group and fairly well dressed with expensive skates.
Now that I am an old GenX man I do have some advice, it’s not where you live, but how you live. Question everything. Listen to advice from trusted sources, but only take that advice after thorough research on how it applies to YOU. Beware, most advice is almost always FOR the person or companies giving it. My best decisions were going against the advice of friends and today going against the advice of companies. Their advice helped me define and verify my thoughts. My friends understandably do not want me to take risks, and neither do I. But big dreams and taking calculated risks were definitely easier when younger and in places that are not as popular. Make it work for you with what you have. Easier said than done these days. Beware of short term gains for long term loss, it’s been a game that too many Americans fall for and ONLY things that seemed to be offered today. Happiness is not what you have, but how you live and the friends you make.
I now live in Hawaii. Monetarily it’s expensive to feed myself and my pets. Will likely have to go back to getting roommates or sizing down. Shanty houses go for 1 million and condos start at 500k for 1 bedroom. The weather is worth it because being outside is free.