Making cool stuff in my basement machine shop and playing the bass. Maybe writing some neat programs for my Commodore 64 for doing useful machine shop stuff like calculating bolt circles and such–those utilities are easy to find online these days, but back then it was a trip to Machinery’s Handbook.
Reading or Walking.
Using my Commodore to look at ASCII porn. Hey, it worked when I was 12!
Pretty much what I’m doing now. I was online in the 80s, I had computers, my leisure activities are the same now, watching TV, working on my house, in the midst of at least one project to build or create something. The difference would be that I’m more physically limited now, with less energy, so more watching TV, no crawling under cars for repairs, no playing racquetball, softball, or canoe racing.
All of you are correct about cable being a thing in the 80’s. It wasn’t available where I lived so I tend to forget about it. Sorry about the misrepresentation.
I spent a great deal of my $3.35 minimum wage in arcades, but I’m reasonably sure that I would be making more at my age than I did as a college student.
I’m not sure I would still be operating a BBS but it is a possibility and I would be reading a lot both online and dead tree format.
Reading a lot. Writing stories, with a pen, in a book. Drawing and painting. Those are what I actually did through the 80s, and continued into the 90s, and it was only the internet that changed me into doing basically those same things online, only not really in the same way.
I’d still watch TV and movies and play video games, too.
Watching TV, listening to my Walkman, playing videogames on my Atari 5200.
This is a really interesting question for me to consider, because I’d be a different adult if it weren’t for the social opportunities I’ve found online. I’d definitely still be interested in computers, electronics, writing and books. Would probably be scouring cable TV and video tape rental places for interesting science fiction.
Take non running crap cars and make them running crap cars. In the mid 80’s I could pick up 10 to 15 year old cars for about $50, dump a few hundred bucks into them to make them road worthy and sell them for $500.
Reading (which is something I have historically enjoyed but rarely do anymore), spending time with my dogs (something I’d do in any decade), watching movies on VHS, playing Atari.
Read. Knit. Crochet. Futz in the garden. Pretty much what I do a lot of the time now.
I find I’m on line less and less these days unless I’m specifically researching or shopping. I play some games on line, but I could do the same thing with a deck of cards or a puzzle book. Once I’ve checked my email, read the funnies, and caught up on FB and the Dope (which normally takes less than an hour all told) I seek out other things to do.
Probably much the same now as I did then. Hang out with my dogs. Find cool patios to sit on for hours and drink coffee or beer. Read books, bake bread, make good meals.
What I miss the most now is going to the local Rep theatre to see movies. Back then, for a $5 annual membership, I could buy a ticket for a buck. Nothing beats sitting in a big, old theatre, watching something on a big screen. I went to anything that sounded good. I went to movies I’d never heard of. I saw classics and crap. I went with friends, and I went by myself. For a dollar, if I didn’t like it, I could just leave. Yup, still miss that.
Writing on my KayPro 4
Walking
Reading
Cooking
Talking with friends
Gardening
Listening to music
Probably traveling, though I couldn’t afford that at the time. If I had the analogue of my current resources, that’s mostly what I’d do.
Playing chess, Pool of Radiance and AD+D.
Also watching Doctor Who (1980 was the last season of Tom Baker and Lalla Ward - my favourite Doctor and companion.)
Attend a lot of Science Fiction Conventions that have become legendary during the last 25-30 years, and collect every filk recording I can get my hands on.
NOT spend all that money on a Betamax and a LaserDisc player, and take a vacation to Guam.
Watch The Doctor.
Make a few bets on sports and politics.
Play Might and Magic.
Working somewhere, riding my bikes, loving my wife, visiting amusement parks, seeing various relatives; the fun ones. Pretty much the same thing as now but without the Dope to report it on.
Beginning of August 1987: Football practice two-a-days.
Drinking.
That, too…but that was back in the day when “the good imported stuff” was St. Pauli Girl, and Coors was the closest thing we had to a microbrew.
Reading, hiking, and cooking.
ETA: practicing piano, probably. In theory I could still do the music I’m doing now, but probably would not because the technology available in the 1980s wasn’t great as an aid for learning. Dunno what I’d do without my iPod to help me figure out whether I’m getting something right or not.