Growing Up Retro

There was a time when we thought getting older meant having fewer adventures. We watched our parents settle into routines, our grandparents slow down, and assumed that eventually life would become a collection of ordinary days. But the older I get, the more I realize how wrong we were. There are still places we haven't seen, songs we haven't heard, friendships we haven't made, and moments that will someday become our favorite stories. Think about that for a second. Some of the best memories of your entire life might not have happened yet. At our age, it's easy to spend more time looking backward than forward. And while I love remembering where we've been, I never want us to forget where we can still go. So tonight, go to sleep knowing there's still plenty of life waiting for you. We're not finished making memories. I'm glad we're growing older together. Good night, my friends.

There's a certain strength in being raised by people who didn't complain about every inconvenience. The heat broke, the car wouldn't start, money got tight. They figured it out. We grew up believing we could too.

Without saying your age… What was the first thing you ever saved up for with your own money, and how much did it cost?

I miss when people took pride in keeping things for years. The same kitchen table, the same Christmas decorations, the same old family car. Today, everything gets replaced. We grew up surrounded by things with stories.

You knew you were growing up when adults started trusting you with real conversations. They stopped sending you out of the room and started asking what you thought. Respect wasn't handed to us. We grew into it.

We grew up knowing that if someone gave you a ride, you offered gas money. If they bought you lunch, you got the next one. Nobody kept score. It was just how you showed people you appreciated them.

One of the most ridiculously awesome scenes in 80s action movie history. An entire squad unloading thousands of rounds into the jungle at something they can't even see. No CGI spectacle needed. Just pure 1987 insanity.

When I was a kid, my parents never knocked before opening my bedroom door. Their house, their rules. Privacy wasn't exactly something we negotiated. Did your parents knock on your bedroom door growing up?

Growing up, my mom would make grilled cheese sandwiches with American cheese and butter the bread before putting it in the frying pan. I always thought everybody made them that way until I heard some people used mayonnaise. Did your family use butter for grilled cheese?

Honestly, I don't think we need more ways to stay entertained. I think we need more fishing with Grandpa, more family card games, more radios playing in the garage, and more afternoons where doing absolutely nothing felt like everything.

I miss when you could open the hood of your car and actually recognize most of the parts without needing a computer to figure out what was wrong.

A conversation that would make no sense in 1986. 1986: Why are you talking to your refrigerator? 2026: I'm asking it what's inside. 1986: Can't you open the door? 2026: It has a camera. 1986: A camera? In the refrigerator? 2026: Yes. I can check it from the grocery store. 1986: Why? 2026: So I know if we're out of milk. 1986: HAVE YOU TRIED LOOKING BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE?

Can somebody explain to me why we spent our entire childhood being told not to talk to strangers, only to grow up and share our entire lives with thousands of them online?

If you watched American Gladiators back in the day, you remember Malibu. And if you thought those giant muscles made him indestructible, wait until you see this hit.

Spielberg gave us Jaws in 1975 and Jurassic Park in 1993. Nearly 20 years apart, and both completely changed what audiences expected from a movie. But if we're judging the films themselves, which one is better?

Describe Richard Pryor with ONE word.

Does anyone recognize these?

Honestly, I don't think every part of life needs to be improved. I miss paper menus, real people answering the phone, cashiers who knew your name, and walking into a store without being asked to download an app.

In 1986, you bought a razor, replaced the blades when they got dull, and went about your business. In 2026, companies want to send you razors, vitamins, coffee, dog food, and toilet paper on automatic subscriptions. We've reached the point where forgetting to cancel something is practically an entire business model.

One of the funniest restaurant scenes in 80s movie history. The moment he finds out what he's been eating is absolutely priceless.