10 Things ’80s Kids Thought Adulthood Would Be Like
Growing up in the 1980s, adulthood looked surprisingly glamorous. The grown-ups on television had corner offices, dinner parties, sports cars, and houses that seemed enormous even when only one person had a job.
We assumed our own futures would eventually look much the same. Then we actually grew up and discovered that adulthood involved fewer briefcases and cocktail parties than expected, and far more passwords, subscriptions, and trying to remember whether we already paid the electric bill. Here are 10 things ’80s kids thought adulthood would be like.
10. Carrying a Briefcase to an Important Job
In the 1980s, successful adults seemed to leave the house every morning carrying a mysterious leather briefcase.
As kids, we assumed ours would someday be filled with contracts, important papers, and possibly a giant calculator. Instead, most of us grew up to carry laptops, tote bags, or nothing at all because the important papers are now buried somewhere in our email.
9. Having a Fancy Office With a Door
Adulthood appeared to come with an office, preferably one with a large desk and a nameplate.
If you became especially successful, you might even get a window overlooking the city. Few ’80s kids imagined growing up to work from kitchen tables, open-plan offices, or video calls where everyone can see the laundry behind you.
8. Owning a Sports Car
Movies and television made it seem as though every successful adult eventually upgraded to something fast and impractical.
The dream was a convertible, a sleek coupe, or anything with headlights that popped up. Reality turned out to involve car payments, insurance premiums, and a deep appreciation for good gas mileage.
7. Hosting Sophisticated Dinner Parties
Grown-ups in the 1980s were always inviting people over for dinner.
They served food in actual courses, used cloth napkins, and somehow owned enough matching dishes for everyone. Many of us assumed adulthood would naturally include frequent dinner parties rather than texting friends, “Want to order something?”
6. Having a Fully Stocked Home Bar
Television homes often featured a bar cart, a liquor cabinet, or an entire corner of the living room devoted to making drinks.
As kids, we assumed this was simply something adults acquired, like a mortgage or a lawn mower. Nobody explained how much glassware was apparently required.
5. Traveling Constantly for Business
Business travel once looked like one of the clearest signs that you had made it.
You would rush through an airport carrying a briefcase, stay in hotels, and make important long-distance phone calls. Nobody showed us the delayed flights, expense reports, and conference rooms that smelled like old coffee.
4. Knowing How to Fix Everything
The adults of our childhood seemed to know what to do when something broke.
They changed tires, repaired appliances, painted rooms, and somehow owned exactly the right tool. Many ’80s kids assumed this knowledge would simply download into our brains at a certain age.
3. Buying a Big House With a Formal Living Room
The adult dream seemed to include a house with rooms you barely used.
There was a dining room for special occasions, a living room nobody was allowed to sit in, and perhaps even a guest bedroom waiting for people who rarely visited. We had no idea how much those extra rooms would cost to heat, cool, furnish, and clean.
2. Wearing a Suit Every Day
Adults on television dressed like they had somewhere important to be.
Men wore suits, women wore shoulder pads, and even ordinary office jobs seemed to require a wardrobe that meant business. Few of us imagined that one day, perfectly respectable professionals would attend meetings in sweatpants just outside the camera frame.
1. Feeling Like You Finally Knew What You Were Doing
More than anything, ’80s kids assumed adulthood would arrive with certainty.
At some point, we thought we would understand money, relationships, careers, home repairs, and all the other things grown-ups seemed to know. Then we reached adulthood and discovered the great secret: most people are still figuring it out as they go.
Read More:
- 10 Gadgets That Made You Feel Rich in the 1980s
- 10 Car Features We Thought Were High-Tech in the ’80s
- 10 Things That Made You Feel Like a Grown-Up in the 1980s
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This article originally appeared on Resourcebuzz and was syndicated by MediaFeed.co.
