Many of us who have been told that we are “mature” and “an old soul” may also have been described as “born in the wrong generation.” It’s something older people love to bestow upon those younger than them like the highest of compliments— the idea that one should have been born in a time where almost nothing was digitized, where record scratches meant annoyance and not a “patina,” and moments were either captured on film cameras where results could take ages, or just as memories to be consulted nostalgically.
When I was told that I was “born in the wrong generation” I always wanted to know exactly what that meant. So, from a very young age, I spent a large portion of my time devoted to unearthing the amazing treasures that my parents had hidden away on the tops of shelves and the backs of drawers. I wanted to know what was so great about the word in the decades before I became a part of it, and in that search, discovered that my parents had been hiding something amazing from me— the fact that their old things were absolutely amazing. I like to think that this realization was where my love of thrifting and vintage shopping comes from, but honestly I think that it is definitely mostly due to my struggle with shopaholicism and my waning budget for it. Regardless, this initial discovery would jumpstart a lifelong appreciation for things that are less practical, but so much more interesting.
What’s The Point?
As I have mentioned often in past articles, I feel that as a generation we are losing the ability to live in the moment. As California as that sounds, I really find it to be true. Whether it be the constant consideration of how many people are liking an instagram post, worrying constantly about the future, or crippling insecurity about student loans— I myself am afflicted with all three— the young people of the world struggle to be in the here and now. As much as we are all tired of hearing it, I believe that a lot of this can be attributed to our intensely digitized lives, at least in my case. I think that the ability to step back, leave my phone and laptop in another room, and enjoy myself for a few hours with my friends is such an important part of my life, and honestly, how I stay sane when life, as it often does, gets hectic.
Realistically, one would be able to do this without any of the things I am about to tell you about. However, it’s probably just my materialism talking, but I think that creating a space to relax while not having to give up your favorite things is paramount. For me, this meant investing in a bunch of those old things I was telling you about earlier. Things like a CD player, a film camera, a digital camera, a record player, books upon books upon books, photo albums, a pack of cards, puzzles, and so on and so forth make taking a step back from burning your retinas with blue light that much more simple.
Tunes
One of my favorite things to do with my friends is go to the old record and CD store in downtown Santa Barbara and scavenge their one dollar section for goodies, often finding artists and albums straight from my childhood. In keeping with tradition, my first CD was Police’s album “Every Breath You Take,” following my mom’s first LP of her childhood which was the same album. After our day of shopping, my friends and I always have a listening party where we test out the new finds, often finding new gems that we haven’t heard before and exposing each other to new music. As much as this routine would be so much simpler (and probably cheaper) with just a Spotify account and a speaker, there is something so wholesome about talking about raiding our parent’s CD collections when we get home, dancing to music without a care in the world, and laughing about all of our new lyrical discoveries.
Pics
Although I have already spent an entire other article blathering on about how much I love them, I felt that this one would be incomplete without the mention of film cameras. For a generation so fixated on body image and appearance, constantly comparing ourselves to others, the inability to scrutinize and dissect the pictures immediately makes film photography one of my favorite ways to capture an experience. Of course, the effect is awesome, not to mention how cool you look running around with a vintage camera, but more importantly, I think the coolness of it is exactly why it is so much more successful at quenching self-deprecation than the average iPhon picture. Between the camera, the film, and the development, you spend so much time and money on the pictures that disliking them doesn’t really feel like an option. Often, even if I don’t love the way I look in a photo, I love the memory, and the fact that I have a fun picture with my friends or in an amazing place.
Quality Time
As a staunch hater of most video games aside from Just Dance and Minecraft, I really appreciate an old-fashioned game night. Another of my favorite activities to do with friends is to make some mocktails and a charcuterie board and play cards, scrabble, chess, or finish a puzzle. Not only does it make for the perfect environment for chatting about everything from gossip to the political and economic state of the world, it is THE MOST fun! I love googling the rules to a million different card games and struggling to teach them to each other, trying to remember ones from our childhood, or bickering about what constitutes a word or not, or struggling through an attempt at a game of intelligent chess, or doing the edge pieces to a Monet, to the newest CD discovery. Spending time with friends like this is the definition of wholesome, and while doom scrolling and rotting time have their place always, I think it’s so important to actually laugh and connect with friends over more than a shared enjoyment of funny cat TikToks (but that too).
Regardless, whether or not my mom questions my nonsensical spending on things that are so much more readily accessible on a phone or a laptop, I will always cherish the moments that were made possible because I felt comfortable enough to just be “in the corny moment” and running around with the people I love. So thank you Cd player, film camera, and deck of cards for all of the connections you have made possible over the decades, and all of the amazing moments that you still facilitate and make that much more special!