I’m writing an article for the newsletter of a local archaeological society I help found way back in 1973. The article is about the history of the organization and how it came to be founded by a bunch of enthusiastic (but largely clueless :)) amateurs. To set the stage I am recounting what life was like back then and am having trouble coming up with snappy descriptions. Help me out here! What was life like 30 years ago?
1973:
No internet
No personal computers
Nixon was U.S. President
Viet Nam War in progress
No Star Wars movies
Star Trek was history
I was too young to drive, vote or drink
It was actually a kind of a nothing year for me – '72 was when I graduated from HS, and '74 is when I met my college boyfriend (one of the great loves of my life). '73 – not much.
People Almanac’s timeline mentions:
Roe v. Wade
Vietnam ceasefire agreement (end of the war, pretty much)
Sacheen Littlefeather refuses Brando’s “Godfather” Oscar for him
CBGB/OMFUG opens – New wave and punk hit the airwaves
The Billie Jean King-Bobby Rigg match
APA declares that homosexuality isn’t a mental illness
This was the year — THE YEAR — the draft ended. The year they drew numbers, but didn’t call people up. I remember, because if they had drafted, my ass was grass. I remember watching them draw, and man, was my ass grass. They would have had my letter in the mail so fast, I wouldn’t have made it to Canada. I wouldn’t have made it to Silver Spring. I wouldn’t have made it to the damn front door. I was single digits.
Bobby Fischer had won the World Chess Championship from Boris Spassky of USSR the previous summer and was still in possession of that title for another couple of years before he refused the match with Anatoly Karpov (USSR again) who then received the title without playing Fischer.
Wow, what a trip down memory lane. Thanks to all for your contributions. I note from Lsura’s link to Wikipedia that 1973 was the year of the overthrow of the Allende government in Chile. Also, Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho won the Nobel Peace Prize that year. The aforementioned late lamented Bruce Lee was joined in death by LBJ, Edward G. Robinson, Wally Cox (sob!), Pearl S. Buck, Noel Coward, Pablo Picasso, Bobby Darin, W.H. Auden and, of course, Salvadore Allende.
Watergate and maxi dresses (snif) takes me back. The DRAFT! My brother got a high number. Boy were we relieved.
I was in 7th grade. I recall there being lines at the gas stations and news stories about meat shortages. Watergate was all over the news. Jesus Christ Superstar and Godpesll came out that year. I kicked the shit out of Greg Brown in the schoolyard for picking on me.
-I had a friend who wore a POW bracelet.
-Laugh-in was winding down, but up to that point had been very cutting edge for humor.
-HeeHaw was another comedy show, but it relied more on the “corn” humor, and sometimes literally it was corn.
-Medical Center was a very popular medical drama, plus the women all had crushes on Chad Everett
-Mannix was the detective series to watch staring Mike Connors
-The Sting was the movie you just HAD to see.
-Bicycle for Christmas was still a good gift.
-You still bought records, and for your favorite song you bought a 78 which had a larger hole in the middle than the 33 albums.
-Color TVs were still not in every home nor was cable.
-We were still fighting the Cold War and Russia was a huge threat. Total nuclear war was believe to actually be possible and might actually happen.
-Polyester as a choice of fabric was becoming popular.
No cellphones
No cordless phones
No answering machines
No e-mail
No VCR/DVD players (hence, no Blockbuster stores)
No security systems for houses (except for rich folks)
Milk was delivered each morning at your doorstep
No seatbelt laws (at least in Texas)
I was in college. In mid-1972 I bought a new VW Beetle for $2000. There was a gas war going on in town, and gas was 19.9.
1973: My brother came back from Vietnam. He had gone there when he was 17 years old. When I learned he was home alive and uninjured, I broke down and wept. There are no words for the way you feel while a loved one is living in horror and facing death. You cannot help him. Every time the phone rings, it may be the call that informs you he’s dead. When he came back, he joined Vietnam Veteran Against the War.
The Vietnam veterans were not treated well, by either the right or the left, when they returned. This became a national shame, and to this day is reflected in the ardent support shown for our troops, even by those who oppose a war.
The Black Movement and the Women’s Movement were very active.
There was a lot of drug use, accompanied by the popularity of godawful wines like Ripple, Boones Farm, and Annie Green Springs.
There was some great rock & roll. I went to a Pink Floyd concert. Everyone was very stoned.
The days of “free love” were winding down. From a woman’s perspective, it hadn’t worked out all that well.
