Recently I read with sadness of the passing of disco queen Donna Summers. I danced to many of her tunes on crowded and strobe lit dance floors, sweating profusely. It was the disco era. Although I hated the music, disco was the most popular music of the late 1970’s, just when I was old enough to attend. If you wanted to meet girls, you went to the discos, or you “cruised” honking horns hoping some young lady would wave you down. We had no cell or smart phones, or computers. We met the old fashioned way, face-to-face. We had to communicate awkwardly like “Do you like this Donna Summer’s song?” Now the music was so loud it might be interpreted as “Do you like to smoke on a bong?” We also did a little pot in the late 70’s and most of the people I knew grew out of that trend.
We rarely address our mortality until we see people we associated our youth with begin to pass away. Then we begin to clearly look at and assess our mortality and what will we do to prolong it. I can’t speak for others, but I want to take each day with enthusiasm and optimism. This is difficult in an era of instant communication and where bad news is considered normal news. I was lucky to live in an era where that instant contact did not exist. Life was simpler and much more fulfilling. We had cars we could fix ourselves. Nowadays you need to be a software engineer to fix your automobile. In the late 1970’s young adults were thin and healthy. Disco should be applauded for assisting in keeping the nation in shape. Today we rapidly approach where 50% of all Americans will be obese. Sadly, many of our youth today might not even make it to age 63.
This week in a poll 50% of respondents stated Facebook was a fad. I honestly hope so. There is so much more to life than staying connected and peering into the affairs of others. To keep my mind occupied, I write. I use the news, Twitter, Facebook and other sources to develop my topics.
With all this in mind, what do you recall of the disco era? As for Donna, rest in peace, and may your voice be clearly heard in the afterlife.
