The Seventies: the Decade of Excess - Essay Example

Part I The seventies was the decade of excess – in everything that one could think of. Memories of those years fill us with joy and contentment. The country had just got over the social revolution in the previous decade and we were expecting our first child. This was sometime in early 1973. We were naturally, as most parents are, excited, nervous and anxious, all at the same time. We wanted this period to be one of the most pleasant phases in our life. We had just moved in to our apartment less than a year ago in the outskirts of Boston. We wanted to bring in our first child amidst cheer and brightness. To match our moods, we had colorful wallpapers with pictures of infants playing around. The upholstery too was in bright hues. We wanted to ‘live’ every moment of the pregnancy months. We used to discuss what we would name our first child and invariably my wife would spring up with one particular name, as if she knew what our first child would be, and as if she always knew what she would name it. We used to laugh over it several times, as we watched the television programs. The Watergate scandal had just erupted and while President Nixon accepted the responsibility, he did not take the blame. The television used to be full of this news but we did not want to spend our time watching just this. We used to watch the Superbowl V and the NBA Championship. We often watched and we particularly liked Love Story by Erich Segal. Since this was also one of the bestsellers at that time, we also picked up this book and it is a treasure even today. Everybody seemed to be concerned about his or her rights at that time. There were gay rights, womens rights, ethnic rights, kids’ rights, and animal rights. Fashion in the 1970s knew no bounds and no morality. Women started wearing Hot Pants while the bras were burnt. Clothes were then ‘unisex’ but for parties women would dress up in maxi dresses and carry a crochet shawl. Men used to dress up in Nehru Jackets, to give them the right touch of aristocracy. Cheese cloth was used for casual wear which required no ironing. Both men and women, to add height to their length used high-heeled shoes (excesses!). People even wore their hair long! Bell-bottomed trousers as well as sleeves were in vogue those days. My wife and I preferred little more decent but casual clothes although we did adopt some of the sleeves and hat styles. America was going through the worst recessions and added to that was the craze to use imported cars. Ford launched Pinto, which was popular through the decade and so was Lincoln’s Continental, which was the first car to be manufactured with padded vinyl roofs and oval opera windows. This was our first car and we used to cherish our trips to make purchases for our yet to be born child. This was a decade full of fun and crazy activities. Part II I often try to think of my childhood and have faint memories. I do not think anybody would remember much before the third birthday. I vaguely remember my third birthday when mom and dad took me out. They pampered me with love and I remember asking my dad when would I reach upto his height. When I was a little older I asked my mom, why do I have to look upto her while talking, when would I grow taller than her so that she could look up to me…and how my parents enjoyed that. My mom said we always have to look ‘up’ with respect when we need something. I realized much later the message that it carried. My dad used to read stories to me at bedtime and all the stories always had a message for life. Once, at either my fifth or the sixth birthday, one of the neighbor’s (my age) came with a gift but did not want to step into our apartment. I went up to her and said she could go if she did not want to stay back for the party but would she give me the gift before leaving? I remember I used to love to watch the television but my parents were strict. I could never understand why the dates suddenly changed. For instance, when I was about six, we suddenly started writing ’79 in school instead of ’78. I associated it with change of place or classroom at that time… Part III (Narrative) He was all of thirteen but he was one of the most mature friends that I had at that time. He was obedient at home and disciplined at school but that does not mean he was not naughty. He was full of pranks and full of life. At studies, he did reasonably well and was always willing to help others but all of a sudden he would withdraw into a shell. Nobody could approach him but if ever he needed someone to talk to, he would turn to me. This is normally the age when we think parents are our biggest enemies but surprisingly, he was the most understanding child I ever came across. He never was mad at his parents. True he needed privacy as we all do at this age but he was equally free with his parents. He used to spend a lot of time watching the television programs like the Beachcombers and the Famous Five. We used to go for long rides to the countryside on his BMX bike of which he was the proud owner. He used to love wearing bright fluorescent colored clothing as he said it matched his temperament. He could break dance through the night that is if his parents permitted him a late night, but such was his stamina. Brands like Adidas, Nike and Reebok had invaded the market and he would love to splurge on designer clothes. While he believed in playing games, dancing, eating, talking, "having fun", listening to music, spending time on the internet, he was very ethical and strongly believed in fairness. He was touched when six million Americans formed a ‘Hands across America’ human chain across the continent. He used to be very keen on working at the computers and always dreamt of being a Computer engineer from the best university. He was intrigued by the system and the way it worked. While all of us would be away to movies, he would spend hours on the computer. He always kept abreast of the latest in world politics, on the latest electronic devices, and knew that keeping ahead was one criteria which could see him through his admissions at the MIT, which was his dream university. While we had not even started weaving any dreams, he had started planning for his future. He was not very sociable with grownups but one of our teachers at school was his role model. He would often be seen seeking clarifications from the teacher after class. He loved to take up challenging projects and took pride in his patience at being able to accomplish them. Even at that age, he exhibited leadership qualities, and was rightly chosen as the class monitor. He would be easily hurt if someone cheated him. He would often be seen sitting by a stream near his house, gazing endlessly at the water gently flowing down. Perhaps it helped him to weave and nourish his dream of being a Computer Consultant one day. He was a wonderful soul then and I am sure he carries his virtues to this day with even more vigor and vitality. Part IV I remember I had not even entered my teens when my dad brought out first computer home. Computers had just started becoming popular and I was fascinated to have one at home. I was thrilled when I saw the mouse; even the term ‘mouse’ was exciting. I learnt to play games and Dagger and Pac-man were the two computer games with which I started my stint at computers. Most children would use the computer at the school library but I was privileged. I used to marvel how data could be processed in a matter of seconds; I used to wonder how the chips function. It was then that I started dreaming of being a computer consultant. I knew it was by no means an easy feat to accomplish. Nevertheless, I started gathering information on the best possible education that could help my dreams come true. I got to know the difference between hardware and software, between hard copy and soft copy. As I entered high school, I knew I had to be equally deft at mathematics and physics. I started keeping track of world news. I was a curious student all through. One day I happened to meet dad’s friend who was a computer consultant and my mind started assessing his qualities against mine. By this time I was about 18 years of age. I was not really bothered about the technical aspect for I know that comes through education and training. I was more concerned whether I possessed the necessary personal and management skills for this profession. Self-assessment revealed that I did possess effective communication skills. It was essential to be able to communicate technical matters to a non-technical audience. Through out school I had involved myself in problem solving projects, so I knew I had the tenacity. I am a quick learner, creative and confident. I read a lot and try to make an in-depth analysis when I do not understand something. I have always been ethical, honest and dependable, apart from being versatile and resourceful. Hence, I decided to take a plunge in making my dream come true. Besides, I knew my parents always honored and supported my decisions. I then heard of MIT and started surfing the net for information as I grew up. I would keep my ears and eyes open for any news that I could chance upon. Today I know MIT is a potent combination of course content and academic environment. One can interact here with the intellectual minds from different corners of the world. MIT is undoubtedly the top ranked school in Computer Science. It has a long-standing tradition of having produced the best technology that the world has ever seen. I am confident after I graduate with major in Computer Engineering from MIT, I will be able to fulfill my dream of a computer consultant which I have been nurturing since childhood. I know for sure I possess the necessary skills and with the environment at MIT, I shall be able to hone up even the technical skills. Read More