I Graduated From High School and College in the ’90s. Here’s What I Miss.
The last decade of the twentieth century was like no other
The ’90s are cool again.
The grungy decade has actually been cool for a while. A few years ago, I spotted a teenager wearing a Nirvana t-shirt, and it stopped me cold. I looked around, thinking I’d time-traveled somehow. Then it dawned on me. Oh, the freshman high school class has discovered Nirvana. Okay then.
Today, Nirvana t-shirts are commonplace. I wouldn’t even notice if someone had on a ’90s band tee.
The music and fashion of the ’90s were, for sure, killer.
The first time I heard Pearl Jam, I knew we were on the verge of a massive cultural shift. The music was gritty and emotional, and authentic. A colossal shift away from the radio pop that was inescapable at the time.
Kriss Kross and Color Me Badd ruled the airwaves. Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot landed the number two spot on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 in 1992.
Don’t get me wrong, if any of these artists showed up on my Apple playlist today, I’d happily listen. However, in the early ’90s, this was all we heard.
I was craving something different, but I didn’t know what. I wore out my Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix cassette tapes searching for reprieve from the dance hits. Finally, my generation broke through with music that reflected how many of us were feeling.
All of a sudden, flannel shirts and combat boots were in. It didn’t matter that I lived in Arizona and it was one hundred degrees outside; I scoured the racks at Goodwill to find one-of-a-kind flannel shirts.
Now, the music and fashion of the ’90s live on. Here’s what I really miss about the last decade of the twentieth century.
Leaving your house meant you were essentially off the grid.
No one could contact you when you were out. No cell phones. No texts. No Find My Friend apps.
You just got to be out. Be free.
Your mind wasn’t constantly listening for the ding of a text. If you were with friends, you were fully present and engaged. You were all doing the same thing, not individually scrolling on phones.
Nothing was instant.
Microwave ramen was the only thing I got quickly — everything else I had to wait for.
I waited in line to register for college classes. Like, in person.
When we went on road trips, we went to the AAA office, where a person put together a binder of maps for us to travel without getting lost.
When we did get lost, we stopped at a gas station and talked to a person to get directions.
It may sound weird to miss this stuff now that everything is so convenient. We have everything at our fingertips. But I miss being present in the moment and the camaraderie.
When you’re in line for classes, you make friends. We’re all just in line for classes. There’s nothing else to do.
If you missed it IRL, you missed out.
Most likely, no one had a camera. No one had video, for sure. You had to settle for first-hand accounts if you missed the party in the desert or the fight after school.
The only people who knew the true story were the ones that were there.
One summer, my friends drove to the state fair, two hours away. An up-and-coming band was playing there for like five bucks. I didn’t feel like making the trip, so I stayed home.
The band was Nirvana.
The rapid advancement of technology has for sure made my life easier.
I’m a solo entrepreneur today because of the internet, social media, and a laptop.
I was able to self-publish a book last month — something I could’ve never done twenty-five years ago. So, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be living my best life in 2023.
But I’m also happy I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s.
Those hazy, Kodachrome, shag carpet decades made me resourceful and resilient. They helped shape me into who I am today. They connected me with the most incredible people who I am still friends with today.
And that — I wouldn’t change for the world.
Kit Campoy is a former retail leader turned freelance writer based in Southern California. She covers Leadership, Retail, Web3, and more. Connect with Kit on LinkedIn.
