Hey fellow Gen Xers! Does anyone else feel like the photographic evidence of their 90s existence has mysteriously vanished into thin air? Seriously, I've been racking my brain (and dusty boxes in the attic), and the pickings are slim.
I have vague memories of acid wash jeans, questionable hairstyles held aloft by Aqua Net, and dancing like nobody was watching (because, thankfully, there's no visual proof they were). But when it comes to actual photographs capturing these iconic moments? I've got nothing...
It's not like cameras didn't exist. We had cameras with the wind-up levers and the procedures to load 35 mm film were part of a rocket science experiment. We even had the thrill of dropping off that little film canister at the nearest photo lab and waiting days (days!) to see if any of the shots were even in focus. In fact, I can probably find an undeveloped canister in a box in my attic if I look hard enough.
So, what happened? Did the film just spontaneously combust? Did we decide that our grunge phase wasn't worthy of preservation? Or was there some kind of collective Gen X amnesia when it came to documenting our lives?
Compared to today's constant stream of digital imagery, where every latte and awkward selfie is immortalized in the cloud, the 90s feel like a photographic void. Maybe it was the cost of film and developing. Maybe we were too busy living in the moment to constantly document it. Or maybe, just maybe, we were ready to leave the cliques of high school behind and truly discover ourselves sans evidence.
The only tangible proof that my 90s actually happened are when I popped up for some family get together, and in 2025, which remaining family member has them? Did anyone else experience this photographic black hole? Are your 90s memories mostly just that – memories?
Let me know in the comments! Maybe we can piece together our lost decade, one blurry anecdote at a time. And if you do happen to stumble upon a treasure trove of 90s photos, please share! I want to create a Generation X Smithsonian sort of vault for those 1990s photos to put the proof in the pudding pop. (Hah... a Jello Pudding Pop. If you find a pic holding one of those then you beat the whole game!) For the sake of Gen X history (and our own slightly hazy recollections), we need to see those flannel shirts and Starter jackets! The email is in my contact section, and you can remain anonymous by name. If you can still be recognized by face then once again, you are at boss level in this game.
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