How about some more somber times?
Among my earliest memories sits when my mother told me that she and my dad were divorcing. I do not know why one of us had to go to the doctor. (For the locals, we were headed to Pill Hill) We were riding the bus across town and up the hill. It was on the climb on the hill that she broke the news. I can only imagine how hard it was for her to break it to me.
She assured me that it was not my fault. Looking back, it was, but only because I was a surprise.
That breakup seemed to have resulted in a trip to Disneyland. Or so that is the memory. I suppose it could have been just before or just after.
The real reasons were never discussed later. I know that my father was devastated by it. At the time, it was just that sometimes people grow apart. My suspicion is that mom may have gotten bored. She was trying to explore live and it was still the hippie generation after all. So much to try out.
For me, it meant dad and I getting a new and much smaller house. He was a workaholic. Something that I did not understand until much later. He worked far too hard. He did provide a fun life, and tried to teach me well. I was not ready for it yet, and sadly he will not speak to me to let me share my adult realizations.
During the mid 70’s divorces were still not well received. It was bound to scar the kid(s) horribly etc. blah blah… So, I was set up with the school counselor. All that I felt it got me was out of class for a regular session and cried out. fuck, it was not pleasant at all. They tried counselors in later years, but it was never my thing. I know that some people really thrive on it, but I share in my own time and space. (Yeah, lucky you)
It is lucky that if I were to find the correct person AND be properly open to it, it could be helpful. Or, I could end up being committed some the really in depth shit to be sorted out.
I was raised that I could do anything I wanted to. It was the mantra of the era. But what did I want to do? no damned clue. SO I was pretty rudderless which left me enjoying life on a more spontaneous level, but without any kind of a plan.
I think that happened to far too many in GenX.