General Discussion

tecelote

(5,152 posts) Mon Sep 29, 2025, 02:47 PM Sep 29

240

I was born in 1960. [View all]

I was born in 1960.

When I started working, my wage was $3.75 hr. With substantial overtime, I made a bit less than $1,000 a month.

My first car was a 1965 Mustang I bought for $350.

Gas was around $0.70.

My first apartment was $650 a month, including utilities. I split it with two others. My share was around $220 a month.

College cost me around $3,000 for four years. I paid off the loans easily within a decade.

I could walk into an airport and go to the gate to meet friends or family.

I hitchhiked across the country... with my dog.

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My kids would never hitchhike today. Everyone is scared of each other today.

I'm not smart enough to know all the reasons why all of this changed, but I'm smart enough to know that it's wrong. America is going in the wrong direction.

For decades, the economic strength of the average American has been in a slow decline, until recently. Now, I'm afraid we've gone off a cliff.

My heart aches for my kids and their generation.

54 replies

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Highlight:

I was born in 1960. [View all] tecelote Sep 29 OP

Cable Television, The Internet, The loss of FLESH based social interactions as main social format. cayugafalls Sep 29 #1

Also, talk radio (after Reagan ended the fairness doctrine), and 9/11 (which yielded paranoia) n/t thesquanderer Sep 29 #21

Reagan did much more than that......... popsdenver Sep 29 #37

Yes. OP and 1st reply wer about economy and also safety/civility, I was talking about the latter. thesquanderer Sep 30 #48

The wrong direction indeed Cirsium Sep 29 #2

That's because you were in a union. llmart Sep 29 #24

Correct biophile Sep 29 #29

Union or not Cirsium Sep 29 #44

The unions today don't have the power that they used to have. llmart Sep 29 #46

We are losing Cirsium Sep 29 #47

I hired in at the car factory in 1972. $3.75/ hr. multigraincracker Sep 29 #32

Companies are a lot greedier than they used to be. LisaM Sep 29 #38

MBAs mess up everything. multigraincracker Sep 29 #45

Nixon resigning with the fallout being the establishment of the billionaire funded right-wing think tanks crud Sep 29 #3

Education should be a human right... BurnDoubt Sep 29 #4

Yes! tecelote Sep 29 #5

The UN Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, to which US is a signatory, niyad Sep 29 #27

Yeah... we got this. BurnDoubt Sep 29 #28

John Adam's capitalism is great. multigraincracker Sep 29 #34

I never had kids, but vote for every school mileage. multigraincracker Sep 29 #33

Yep! Yep! Yep! BurnDoubt Sep 29 #36

Started driving 1969 Typewitch Sep 29 #6

Reagan started our downward cycle and made it harder for us to get ahead kimbutgar Sep 29 #7

I'm with you. Costs are out of sight... Joinfortmill Sep 29 #8

July'59 whyzayker Sep 29 #9

I think capitalism might be at least a small amount of the problem. twodogsbarking Sep 29 #10

That's why they had to make Socialism a dirty word MadameButterfly Sep 29 #19

Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century: the rate of return on capital historically exceeds the rate of economic growth pat_k Sep 29 #43

Almost twice the population. phxjurist Sep 29 #11

The world population increase is scary as well... tecelote Sep 29 #13

Actually, population may be going down and it's a crisis MadameButterfly Sep 29 #20

In 85-89, I paid all tuition, books and fees at state college with a single, full time-summer job Torchlight Sep 29 #12

Amen to all. Evolve Dammit Sep 29 #14

Canada Maninacan Sep 29 #15

Yeah I was making two thirty five an hour and I was born in nineteen sixty Tribetime Sep 29 #16

same here Layzeebeaver Sep 29 #17

You have two years on me but I relate to everything you said. debsy Sep 29 #18

Consumerism llmart Sep 29 #25

I was born in 1961 and have never hitchhiked nor would I ever done that. OTH, my Dad often hitchhiked madinmaryland Sep 29 #22

Born in October '59 LittleGirl Sep 29 #23

I was born just a handful of years later misanthrope Sep 29 #26

Me too (born in 1960) pat_k Sep 29 #30

I was 13 years old in 1960 PCB66 Sep 29 #31

57 for me Nigrum Cattus Sep 29 #35

Me too Sparkly Sep 29 #42

I was born in 1962 BigmanPigman Sep 29 #39

I remember hitchking home every day from caddying in the late 60's and also hitchhiking to and c-rational Sep 29 #40

Not a problem Joe Nation Sep 29 #41

Can you provide statistics showing that slow Progressive dog Sep 30 #49

It all went south when that idiot 'rayguns' was elected wolfie001 Sep 30 #50

Nostalgia is fine, but... Deep State Witch Sep 30 #51

Yes that too. nt LittleGirl Sep 30 #52

Prices and the cost of living skyrocketed after the end of WWII Bengus81 Sep 30 #53

Sounds like a country music song. betsuni Sep 30 #54