People born in the 70s have had the unique experience of living through pre-digital, analog, and digital eras. We played in the mud, watched black-and-white TV, waited for letters in the post, and later adapted to mobile phones, the internet, social media, and AI. Very few generations have experienced both the absence and explosion of technology the way they have.
Our childhoods were completely screen-free, filled with outdoor games, comic books, landline calls, and real-time conversations. Yet, we adapted to smartphones, Zoom calls, and cloud computing without skipping a beat. We have witnessed both deep human connection and fast-paced digital life—a rare combo.
Agreed, life was slower, simpler. Trains were often late but romanticized. Letters took days to arrive but carried genuine emotion. Landlines, if we had one, was precious, and neighbours often shared them generously.
We, the humans were more attached to nature, family & friends than the technology! We played gully cricket until we got exhausted or till the dusk and ball became invisible. Screaming of friend's name in front of their house loudly was a routine. Some even compared it to the missed calls today!
Today's children's in their 20s & 30s often wonder what we did in our teens. They think we did not have much to do but to be honest, I don't have one memory of being bored!!!
All the neighbours knew each other and often it was more than enough for a kid to stay after school at someone's home in case the parents were out on unavoidable circumstances.
A few memories to recall which is worth the time is while we were riding bicycle, we never bothered to wear helmets. We played only with our real friends every day, and not with NET friends. The one & only source for thirst quenching was water and we used to drink water straight from the tap. Though at times we played Cricket on barefoot times, nothing happened! Don't we remember we used to create our own toys and play with them?
Our parents never ran behind money and wealth. They truly gave us only love.. not any worldly material. We only had Black and White photos but one could find great colourful memories in those photos!!!
We were raised with values of frugality, patience, and resilience, at the same time we also learned to embrace speed, change, and multitasking. That makes us adaptable and grounded, a "limited edition" balance that's hard to replicate in later generations.
We truly are a unique generation—perhaps the only one that stands at such an extraordinary crossroads. We were the last to listen to our parents without questioning, and the first to listen to our children with curiosity.
Bridging two worlds, we were raised with discipline, boundaries, and a healthy dose of "because I said so." Yet, today, we find ourselves googling answers to our children's questions, learning from them, and sometimes even taking parenting advice from teenagers who speak the language of reels and Reddit.
We carry within us the echoes of our parents' values and the voices of our children's future. And that's what makes us so rare—a living, breathing bridge between tradition and transformation.
We are not just special, but truly "LIMITED EDITION!!!"