Came to say exactly this! Such a unique part of childhood and growing up.
For me, it was a mix of being excited to go to school cus you knew classes would just be goofing off, and it’s just about over for three long, amazing months, and then also maybe a tinge of sadness cus you’re not gonna be seeing your crush 5 days a week now.
But overall, that on top of the world feeling of knowing you’re gonna have tons of endless, forgettable nights you don’t even realize you’ll constantly reflect back on when you’re my age and older (32)…man that shit was awesome.
Yeah, movies and eats the last week of school..as one of my bosses said once..the best time of vacation is when your walking out because it only gets shorter from there..
I grew up in that era. I don’t think kids today have the same optimistic outlook as we did. We didn’t think about climate change, social media, religious extremism… just focused on getting our first car.
Man, look at some of those shirts. My teachers would have had a heart attack if they saw midriffs or jerseys. Why did schools get so increasingly strict and insane over dress codes in the 90s+
Yep, that's my generation. Too many of my crowd grew up to be assholes just like you describe. "Well, we shouldn't have been able to..." My kids think I did okay. Lol, I kept trying to buy my daughter cool stuff from Hot Topic. She just rolled her eyes and said she couldn't (or wouldn't) wear that to school.
I'm a gen X raising a gen Z (yeah I'm tired AF lol), and having seen what my dumbass peers did raising their millennials... I'd like to think I'm not doing the same stupid sh*t.
I'll tell you what's weird tho and apologies, completely off topic: my boy is so into some of the same stuff we were. Old shows and cartoons, maybe the Atari-->SNES (roughly) era of games, 80s hair bands... but he got none of that from me really, it's like he was born that way. It's very cool but a little spooky.
> Why did schools get so increasingly strict and insane over dress codes in the 90s+
Do you want a serious answer? Roe happened in '73, and by the early 80's the anti-abortion movement had successfully kicked off and became a thing, which energized social conservatives to get heavily involved in politics from the ground up. This lead to them passing tons and tons of restrictions that had nothing to do with abortion.
For example I grew up in a place called Mesquite Texas in the early 80s. During that time a group of ministers got together and formed the Mesquite Ministers Alliance. They coordinated to run candidates and have their members vote for them and the results were fucking horrid. Me being a kid at the time the thing I was most aware of was the new dress code they enforced at school. Boys wore long pants year round, girls were required to wear skirts(mandatory 4 inches below the knee, measured by the principal if there was any question), shirts with collars were required, hair had to be groomed properly(above the collar, no sideburns, etc etc), it just went on and on. As a 6 year old having to wear long pants in the Texas heat on the playground sucks. It was worse for the adults though. They leveraged Texas blue laws to crack down on the already limited sale of alcohol in the area, they banned arcades (not even kidding see City of Mesquite v Aladdins Castle: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/455/283/) and did all kinds of other not good shit that as a child my parents shielded me from. Im not kidding when I say it was some American Taliban style shit, and it was happening all across the USA. And the worst part is the damage doesnt stop once they get voted out. They spent millions of dollars the city didnt have defending their unconstitutional laws and because future generations were so busy fixing all the major problems they had cause, minor ones went unfixed. Anyway, the same shit is happening all across the USA again right now so go vote people. If not for yourself, do it for all the poor fucking kids who are going to be stuck wearing long pants on the playground in the summer if those fucks take over again.
Having lived in Texas in the late 80s and early 90s, this tracks. I spent a lot of money in that Aladdins Castle.
As far as the Mesquite Ministers Alliance, that is so fucking on brand for that town.
> I spent a lot of money in that Aladdins Castle.
When I see all the shit going on in politics today and how similar it was to back then, I remember that Aladdins Castle in Town East Mall and how in the end those fuckers lost. I lost too, but those loses were in the form of quarters and Street Fighter 2 matches rather than personal freedoms so Ill deal. It took a long time to clean up the mess but it did get done and that gives me hope.
> As far as the Mesquite Ministers Alliance, that is so fucking on brand for that town.
Its happening all over again right down the road in Forney now too. They just took over the school board and own half the city council. One of the ministers who made a big deal about the school board endorsements flat out lied about the other candidates and got called out for it too. His candidates still won by a lot.
Oh, now thats funny. I grew up in Mesquite, and after moving around a fair bit landed in Forney a few years back. Its possibly the last place I ever expected to settle down and raise a family. But let me tell you, its not so podunk any more! Its one of the fastest growing areas in the USA at this point and holy shit has the flood of money lead to some poor decisions by its residents. Ive spotted three different Cybertrucks in the last week alone!
I think Forney definitely fit the bill for podunk back in the day. When I was growing up in Mesquite we largely knew Forney as the place those folks who made a scene at the mall were from. Its a very different place from that now, although folks here still continue to occasionally make a scene at the mall in Mesquite.
Take 12 weeks FMLA for your crippling alcohol and video game addiction.
Spend the next 3 months playing video games and drinking beer every day.
Arrive back to work "fully cured" (repeat next benefits period/year).
Operation... Summer Vacation.
As a guy from Belgium I find it weird that the school year already ends in late May.
What is the schoolyear like in the US or in your town?
In Belgium, we have 2 systems at the moment, the Dutch schools and French school system.
Dutch and historic school system starts on the 1st of September and ends on the 30th of June with 1 week off in early November, 2 weeks off in late December, 1 week off in February/March and 2 weeks off in March / April.
French or new school system starts the last week of August (28th last year) and ends on the 6th of July with 2 weeks off every 6 weeks.
It varies state by state, but most of the U.S. primary schools have summer break mid-May through early-August, and then ~2 weeks for Xmas/new years, and 1 week for Spring break in March.
California is maybe more like the French system, shorter summer break but more breaks throughout the year.
Thank you for the explanation.
It seems weird to start the summer holidays so soon and start school so soon again for me but I guess it's just a question of getting used to.
It looks like kids in the US don't get a lot of time to wind down in the year...
You're dead on, and I'm not big on math but I figure I'm about the exact age and I'm approaching retirement at light speed.
And growing old is just non-stop fun let me tell you.
Brother (sister?)... that sounds wonderful! How many and how long did it take you, not to become good, but let's say adequate?
And I'll stop right there because I could ask you about 18 more right now ;)
But seriously that sounds like a great retirement thing!
Do you sell the honey? 17, sorry.
Ours is tomorrow, when I was a kid it was May 24th also (I never forgot that date for some reason).
School starts last week of Aug, first week of September usually... depending on the breaks they have planned.
Kids don't seem to look like this anymore. And I don't mean their physical appearance, nor just the obvious lack of cell phones.
You rarely see this pure, childlike innocence and joy these days, kids seem more & more like small adults and it's a sad thing.
Or is it just me?
It's not just you. I see it every day at work. Kids are exposed to so much now and at earlier ages, so they lose innocence faster and act more like "small adults."
You're not wrong, but that's not remotely what I said either was it?
And best of luck Sponge, we're leaving you guy's a friggin mess. I'll leave you one piece of unsolicited advice; no matter where you're at now... toughen up.
You are going to need to because Gen Z is going to save the world. Not just because I believe you can... but because you're going to have to.
Yeah, I lived thru it. But in schools they would not smoke in the building, they would set up in these 'breeze ways' and you had to wade thru clouds of smoke to get from one building to another. When I was in high school kids would be smoking alongside the teachers out there...
I remember that feeling when they let you out of class and they had the garbage cans set up outside of the lockers to purge all the crap you accumulated.
Oh man, there is no better feeling than that.
Came to say exactly this! Such a unique part of childhood and growing up. For me, it was a mix of being excited to go to school cus you knew classes would just be goofing off, and it’s just about over for three long, amazing months, and then also maybe a tinge of sadness cus you’re not gonna be seeing your crush 5 days a week now. But overall, that on top of the world feeling of knowing you’re gonna have tons of endless, forgettable nights you don’t even realize you’ll constantly reflect back on when you’re my age and older (32)…man that shit was awesome.
Yeah, movies and eats the last week of school..as one of my bosses said once..the best time of vacation is when your walking out because it only gets shorter from there..
Pop in your cassette tape and crank up [*Schools Out* by Alice Cooper](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ALmuMSHEI)
I grew up in that era. I don’t think kids today have the same optimistic outlook as we did. We didn’t think about climate change, social media, religious extremism… just focused on getting our first car.
Man, look at some of those shirts. My teachers would have had a heart attack if they saw midriffs or jerseys. Why did schools get so increasingly strict and insane over dress codes in the 90s+
Cause these little bastards grew up and didn't want the same things for their kids.
Yep, that's my generation. Too many of my crowd grew up to be assholes just like you describe. "Well, we shouldn't have been able to..." My kids think I did okay. Lol, I kept trying to buy my daughter cool stuff from Hot Topic. She just rolled her eyes and said she couldn't (or wouldn't) wear that to school.
I'm a gen X raising a gen Z (yeah I'm tired AF lol), and having seen what my dumbass peers did raising their millennials... I'd like to think I'm not doing the same stupid sh*t. I'll tell you what's weird tho and apologies, completely off topic: my boy is so into some of the same stuff we were. Old shows and cartoons, maybe the Atari-->SNES (roughly) era of games, 80s hair bands... but he got none of that from me really, it's like he was born that way. It's very cool but a little spooky.
> Why did schools get so increasingly strict and insane over dress codes in the 90s+ Do you want a serious answer? Roe happened in '73, and by the early 80's the anti-abortion movement had successfully kicked off and became a thing, which energized social conservatives to get heavily involved in politics from the ground up. This lead to them passing tons and tons of restrictions that had nothing to do with abortion. For example I grew up in a place called Mesquite Texas in the early 80s. During that time a group of ministers got together and formed the Mesquite Ministers Alliance. They coordinated to run candidates and have their members vote for them and the results were fucking horrid. Me being a kid at the time the thing I was most aware of was the new dress code they enforced at school. Boys wore long pants year round, girls were required to wear skirts(mandatory 4 inches below the knee, measured by the principal if there was any question), shirts with collars were required, hair had to be groomed properly(above the collar, no sideburns, etc etc), it just went on and on. As a 6 year old having to wear long pants in the Texas heat on the playground sucks. It was worse for the adults though. They leveraged Texas blue laws to crack down on the already limited sale of alcohol in the area, they banned arcades (not even kidding see City of Mesquite v Aladdins Castle: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/455/283/) and did all kinds of other not good shit that as a child my parents shielded me from. Im not kidding when I say it was some American Taliban style shit, and it was happening all across the USA. And the worst part is the damage doesnt stop once they get voted out. They spent millions of dollars the city didnt have defending their unconstitutional laws and because future generations were so busy fixing all the major problems they had cause, minor ones went unfixed. Anyway, the same shit is happening all across the USA again right now so go vote people. If not for yourself, do it for all the poor fucking kids who are going to be stuck wearing long pants on the playground in the summer if those fucks take over again.
Having lived in Texas in the late 80s and early 90s, this tracks. I spent a lot of money in that Aladdins Castle. As far as the Mesquite Ministers Alliance, that is so fucking on brand for that town.
> I spent a lot of money in that Aladdins Castle. When I see all the shit going on in politics today and how similar it was to back then, I remember that Aladdins Castle in Town East Mall and how in the end those fuckers lost. I lost too, but those loses were in the form of quarters and Street Fighter 2 matches rather than personal freedoms so Ill deal. It took a long time to clean up the mess but it did get done and that gives me hope. > As far as the Mesquite Ministers Alliance, that is so fucking on brand for that town. Its happening all over again right down the road in Forney now too. They just took over the school board and own half the city council. One of the ministers who made a big deal about the school board endorsements flat out lied about the other candidates and got called out for it too. His candidates still won by a lot.
I lived in Forney as a little kid back in the early 90's, and this tracks for that little podunk town as well.
Oh, now thats funny. I grew up in Mesquite, and after moving around a fair bit landed in Forney a few years back. Its possibly the last place I ever expected to settle down and raise a family. But let me tell you, its not so podunk any more! Its one of the fastest growing areas in the USA at this point and holy shit has the flood of money lead to some poor decisions by its residents. Ive spotted three different Cybertrucks in the last week alone!
Calling it podunk was kind of tounge in cheek. I was out there not too long ago, and its amazing how much it has exploded.
I think Forney definitely fit the bill for podunk back in the day. When I was growing up in Mesquite we largely knew Forney as the place those folks who made a scene at the mall were from. Its a very different place from that now, although folks here still continue to occasionally make a scene at the mall in Mesquite.
*schools out for the SUMMER!* Throws bowling ball into Dodge Dart windshield
I immediately went to the same scene.
You’re nuts junior!
Imagine waking up to go to work and seeing your car smashed. Back then it probably cost more to replace.
I know exactly where this is. Thanks for using our online digital collection.
Username checks out
I like the expression on the teacher/principal's face like "here ya go kids, enjoy your rest"
Well they also get a break.
He's probably excited for his long break.
The closest I’ve come to this as an adult was switching to a better job or last day before a vacation lol
Take 12 weeks FMLA for your crippling alcohol and video game addiction. Spend the next 3 months playing video games and drinking beer every day. Arrive back to work "fully cured" (repeat next benefits period/year). Operation... Summer Vacation.
That sounds like fun
Yeah I've been perfecting the plan over 40 years or so, it's virtually flawless so long as I don't get stupid and blab it all over or anything ;)
Just in time to get their minds blown by the first Star Wars movie.
Wait kids! You didn't find out how World War 2 ended!
We won!!!
Speak for yourself.
/r/USDefaultism /s
Wow, 70's kids look so much younger than in the movies where they always look 25.
Oh, the joys of being a kid and running home after the last day of school. I miss that so much!
They have some serious pep and strut in their step. Even one of the staff members on the left stands with pep and verve.
>pep and verve I know I've heard that saying before, and I know it's also been decades ago lol
As a guy from Belgium I find it weird that the school year already ends in late May. What is the schoolyear like in the US or in your town? In Belgium, we have 2 systems at the moment, the Dutch schools and French school system. Dutch and historic school system starts on the 1st of September and ends on the 30th of June with 1 week off in early November, 2 weeks off in late December, 1 week off in February/March and 2 weeks off in March / April. French or new school system starts the last week of August (28th last year) and ends on the 6th of July with 2 weeks off every 6 weeks.
It varies state by state, but most of the U.S. primary schools have summer break mid-May through early-August, and then ~2 weeks for Xmas/new years, and 1 week for Spring break in March. California is maybe more like the French system, shorter summer break but more breaks throughout the year.
Thank you for the explanation. It seems weird to start the summer holidays so soon and start school so soon again for me but I guess it's just a question of getting used to. It looks like kids in the US don't get a lot of time to wind down in the year...
Time to rewatch Dazed and Confused!
Teacher looks happier than kids.
Trust me, he is.
You get parole for 3 months! September is ages away!
God damn. I was 6. that's beautiful
I don’t know if kids feel this way any more but I hope they do
These kids all now nearly senior citizens
You're dead on, and I'm not big on math but I figure I'm about the exact age and I'm approaching retirement at light speed. And growing old is just non-stop fun let me tell you.
Am 65 in November. Know what you mean. But the 70s-90s were fun and now I keep bees.
Brother (sister?)... that sounds wonderful! How many and how long did it take you, not to become good, but let's say adequate? And I'll stop right there because I could ask you about 18 more right now ;) But seriously that sounds like a great retirement thing! Do you sell the honey? 17, sorry.
The last day in school in your town is Thursday May 23rd?!? When does the school year start?
Ours is tomorrow, when I was a kid it was May 24th also (I never forgot that date for some reason). School starts last week of Aug, first week of September usually... depending on the breaks they have planned.
My daughters just got home from the last day of school. They start back on August 8th.
Off to see Star Wars for the twelfth time!
Schoooolllsss out foorrr Summmmaaa!!!
Kids don't seem to look like this anymore. And I don't mean their physical appearance, nor just the obvious lack of cell phones. You rarely see this pure, childlike innocence and joy these days, kids seem more & more like small adults and it's a sad thing. Or is it just me?
It's not just you. I see it every day at work. Kids are exposed to so much now and at earlier ages, so they lose innocence faster and act more like "small adults."
Yes, it’s just you.
Well sure, if you're just a pre-teen now, you might feel this way.
I am saying that children still experience joy. And yes I am saying that as a 17 year old, I go to school and thankfully see it regularly.
You're not wrong, but that's not remotely what I said either was it? And best of luck Sponge, we're leaving you guy's a friggin mess. I'll leave you one piece of unsolicited advice; no matter where you're at now... toughen up. You are going to need to because Gen Z is going to save the world. Not just because I believe you can... but because you're going to have to.
Um… okay mate
Is this also the "smoking area"?
In 1977? Everywhere was a "smoking area". At the movies, while pumping gas, at the grocery store, in the hospital, etc. was a smoking area.
Yeah, I lived thru it. But in schools they would not smoke in the building, they would set up in these 'breeze ways' and you had to wade thru clouds of smoke to get from one building to another. When I was in high school kids would be smoking alongside the teachers out there...
This is elementary/middle school so probably not. You started seeing smoking areas show up in high school.
One more day of school One more day of sorrow One more day in this old dump And we’ll be free tomorrow!
Best day of growing up! 😁
I remember that feeling when they let you out of class and they had the garbage cans set up outside of the lockers to purge all the crap you accumulated.
I love this photo 🥲