Things Only Gen X Women Will Remember (Get Ready to Feel Nostalgic!)
Alright, ladies, let’s take a little trip down memory lane. If you’re a Gen X woman like me, you grew up in an era before smartphones, social media, and 24/7 Wi-Fi. We survived dial-up internet, memorized phone numbers, and knew the struggle of rewinding VHS tapes. And honestly? It was kind of magical.
So, grab your Tab (or at least pretend you’re sipping one), kick back, and let’s relive some of the best (and most cringe-worthy) things only Gen X women will remember.
1. The Friday Night Ritual: Blockbuster & Chill (Old-School Edition)
Before streaming took over, our version of Netflix and chill was a trip to Blockbuster. We’d roam the aisles, praying the latest release wasn’t already rented out (because, let’s be honest, we didn’t always rewind those tapes). And if you had a crush coming over? You better believe you picked something cool like “Pretty in Pink” or “The Lost Boys.”
2. The Art of Passing Notes
Before texting, we had our own form of instant messaging—elaborately folded notes passed between classes. And if you really wanted to show off? You folded that bad boy into a triangle or a secret envelope. If you got a note that said “Do you like him? Check yes or no,” you knew it was serious.
3. Aqua Net & The Higher the Hair, The Closer to God
Our hair didn’t just happen—it was an event. Teasing, spraying, scrunching, and more spraying. Aqua Net was practically a rite of passage, and if you walked out of the house without crunchy bangs or sky-high mall hair, were you even trying?
4. Mixtapes Were a Love Language
If someone made you a mixtape, they loved you. Sitting by the radio, waiting for your favorite song to play, and then hitting “record” at just the right moment? That took patience and dedication. And heaven forbid the DJ talked over the intro—we suffered through some awkward cutoffs.
5. The Freedom of Being Unreachable
Remember when you could leave the house and no one could find you until you got home? No cell phones. No tracking apps. If we needed to check in, we found a payphone (and hoped we had a quarter). Our parents just hoped we made good choices—and let’s be real, sometimes we didn’t.
6. Fashion Trends We Thought Were Everything
Two words: Units Clothing. Those mix-and-match cotton pieces with stretchy waistbands? Iconic. Also, can we talk about jelly shoes, banana clips, and scrunch socks layered over stirrup leggings? We were out here making statements.
7. Waiting ALL WEEK for Our Favorite TV Shows
No binge-watching for us! If you missed an episode of “90210” or “Dynasty,” you were out of luck until summer reruns. And Friday nights? That was reserved for TGIF—”Full House,” “Family Matters,” “Step by Step”—we were invested in the lives of fictional families. But we were also fully invested in Detectives Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs of “Miami Vice.”😉
8. The Sound of the Internet Connecting (and No One Could Use the Phone!)
That screechy dial-up sound still haunts my dreams. The struggle was real: you had to pick between being online or letting someone call the house. And if someone did pick up the phone mid-download? Rage. Pure rage.
9. The Ultimate Status Symbol: Lisa Frank Everything
If your school supplies weren’t covered in neon dolphins, rainbow tigers, or psychedelic pandas, what were you even doing? Lisa Frank was the epitome of cool, and that Trapper Keeper? A non-negotiable back-to-school essential.
10. Roller Rinks & The Ultimate Friday Night Scene
The smell of stale popcorn, the disco ball, and skating hand-in-hand with your crush to a slow song—pure magic. Bonus points if you mastered skating backward without falling.
11. MTV Was Our Social Media
Back when MTV actually played music videos, we got our fashion inspo, celeb gossip, and entertainment all in one place. “TRL” before streaming, “Yo! MTV Raps” before Spotify, and the moment Madonna or Prince dropped a new video? Pure pop culture gold.
12. The Magic of the Scholastic Book Fair
Walking into the book fair with a crumpled $5 bill felt like a VIP shopping spree. Babysitter’s Club, Sweet Valley High, scratch-and-sniff stickers—we were living our best literary lives.
13. The Struggle of Recording Your Favorite Songs Off the Radio
We didn’t have Spotify playlists. We had a blank cassette and a deep need to record our favorite songs off the radio without the DJ talking over the intro. And rewinding to find the exact starting point? A skill only true Gen Xers mastered.
14. The Glory of an Actual Snow Day
No e-learning, no Zoom classes—just a legit day off to go sledding, build snowmen, and drink Swiss Miss hot chocolate like it was our job.
15. The Magic of Drive-Ins & Mall Arcades
Friday nights at the drive-in or dropping quarters into “Pac-Man” and “Ms. Pac-Man” at the arcade? It was our version of social media—except we actually had to be social.
Feeling nostalgic yet? I know I am! We may not have had TikTok or DoorDash, but we had an era full of freedom, fun, and (questionable) fashion choices that we wouldn’t trade for the world.
Tell me, what’s your favorite Gen X memory? Let’s keep this nostalgia train rolling in the comments! 🚀💕
