You ever feel like you don’t enjoy things like you used to? Music. Movies. Even friends.
Everything today moves too fast. News. Opinions. Outrage. All instant — all the time.
We’ve got every option at our fingertips…and somehow, we enjoy it all less.
But back in the ’80s — life had friction. You waited. You earned things.
You didn’t scroll for meaning — you kind of stumbled into it. That waiting carved things into our memory.
This post isn’t about going back — it’s about what we left behind and what we can move forward. Because lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the 80s and not just the great movies and tv shows.
The 1980s had a pace — a mindset — a kind of rhythm that shaped who we became.
I believe that pace can help us enjoy things more today. And the more I look around today, the more I realize— that the 80s still have something to teach us.
So back then, you had to wait for what you loved right. Your favorite show aired once a week — that was it. Mine? Probably Knight Rider or The A-Team.
We all watched together — same night, same time — and we talked about it the next day. If you missed it? You missed it. And no one complained about spoilers. Everyone talks about spoilers now. Back then if you missed it you just had to hear what happened and you had to move and wait for next week.
Music was the same. You didn’t skip around tracks. You listened to entire albums.
And if you wanted a mixtape — you made it yourself. In real time. You sat by the radio, finger on the record button, waiting for that new song to come on.
That friction made it all matter. That pace was what made it special. There was a rhythm to how we consumed things. All of that created a built-in patience.
But now? Now everything’s instant — and somehow, less satisfying. We binge entire shows in a weekend. We’ve got playlists that change every week
and memories that don’t stick anymore. We’re drowning in choice — but starving for connection. Because everything’s too loud. Too fast. Too much.
There’s no buildup. No waiting. And without waiting… there’s no imagination. We used to feel the space between moments. Now, we just fill it with more noise.
But maybe that’s the lesson. Maybe friction wasn’t the problem — maybe it was actually the solution. The ’80s taught us how to wait, how to appreciate, how to be present before everything became instant.
We didn’t take 1,000 photos. We took a few — and then we had them developed
and then we framed them and then we put them somewhere important in the house because they meant something.
The solution isn’t throwing away our phones or pretending it’s 1985 again. It’s about bringing that old rhythm into the modern world. Because the friction still works. It slows us down just enough to feel again.
Now? We’re half-watching, half-scrolling, and we’re definitely fully distracted. Back then, our attention wasn’t split 50 different ways. That’s why the things we watched, the songs we listened to, and the friends we spent time with — they stuck. They became part of us.
Listen the 80s weren’t perfect. Not even close. But they gave us something rare today.
Pace
Time to breathe
Time to reset
Time to be bored
So here’s my challenge for the week. Rewatch something from your childhood. Maybe I will find an old Knight Rider episode. Call an old friend — call and talk, not text.
Go outside for a bit. I need to do more of that. I think you probably do to.
The 80s are gone. but the mindset — the values — they still matter.
Thanks for spending a few minutes remembering our glory days.