MEMORIES OF THE 90’S

The 1990’s was one of the favorite decades of my life thus far. I have resisted writing about this period, but recent events in the news has made me nostalgic for that period in time. So….let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we? This is my personal retrospect of a memorable era. A few nights ago, I watched a documentary on the life of the late John F. Kennedy Jr. This July 16th will be the 20th anniversary of his passing. During the 90’s, there was nowhere you could go in the world without possibly seeing a photograph of his gorgeous face splattered over the cover of some magazine. Then there’s the late Princess Diana who also passed away in the 90’s….August 31st 1997, to be precise.  These well-known figures ruled in that decade. I don’t usually fawn over celebrities or famous people, however; I did admire JFK Jr. and Princess Diana. Neither were movie stars or pop stars. Their fame was more or less based on their birthright. But, I don’t think the public would have cared much if that’s all there was to them….fame, privilege, great looks, and money. There was also much more than the obvious… I think. Make no bones about it – these two had the ‘it’ factor, that intangible thing that makes us gravitate towards someone. In a nutshell – they were likeable, and in spite of their fame and social stature, they did not appear to be arrogant. Despite being born into vastly different worlds from ordinary folks, they managed to touch many people’s lives, albeit from afar. Diana especially, had that vulnerable quality that made her all the more endearing. Whatever it was; most of the world could not seem to turn away from both JFK Jr’s and Princess Di’s undeniable magnetism and their radiant smiles.

I was a very young woman at the beginning of the 90’s and still pretty young at the end of that decade. I was happy and life was full of so many possibilities. This was a decade where you had to read a physical newspaper or watch the daily newscast on television to get your news. Some of us even had newspapers delivered to our door during that period. The internet was still new and not what it is nowadays. This was a time well before the web gained steam, and before the advent of smartphones, and social media. Things were not so immediate. Most homes still had a landline. Texting had been developed, but was still far from becoming mainstream.  It was just a very different moment in history.

Even so, Princess Diana was possibly one of the most famous people in the world back then. There was perhaps not a day that went by, where she was not in the news; somewhere in the world.  She was known and loved worldwide. Her image was in the newspapers constantly. Some of us after all, had gotten up early as young children, (wherever we were in the world) to watch her wedding to Prince Charles on July 29th, 1981. So, it felt like we had ‘known’ her for most of our lives at that point. Even after her divorce, we were hoping that Princess Diana would find her happy ending. Sadly, that was not to be.

I remember going to work on that Saturday in late August 1997 and returning home to take a nap. After awakening, I was speaking to my sister on the phone when the breaking news flashed across the TV screen…Princess Diana had passed away from injuries sustained in a car crash in Paris. That was an unbelievable moment and a very sad one. My sister and I gasped….we were so incredulous at that news. Here is the beautiful lady we had gotten out of bed early as young girls, to watch get married in 1981. Now, she was gone….just like that… I think that was the first time it really struck me how fragile life is. You can be young, healthy, rich, and possibly the most famous person on earth and it can all be snatched away – in an instant.

Just a little sidebar to the power of Princess Diana’s popularity back then. On the day of her funeral, I was scheduled to work the early shift at my job….starting at 6am. I called in sick (yes I did!). I wanted to be at home to watch the funeral service on television. With the time difference of London time, the service took place very early in the morning, my local time. So; just as I had awoken bright and early, to watch Diana get married so long before, as a child; I got up early and watched her funeral service. Heartbreaking to say the least. Guess what? When I went back to work the following day, I discovered many of my co-workers, who were also scheduled to work the 6am shift had also called in sick the previous day. And no….we had not conspired to do so. That was just the power of Princess Diana. She was much loved by the masses. Needless to say, we had a ‘talking to’ from our manager.

Another iconic figure whose popularity just soared in the 90’s, was JFK Jr. Even now, when you see photographs from his very full life, you can’t help but think back to another period in time. This handsome man was seemingly everywhere in that decade. I think part of the reason he was so loved by many; is maybe because he seemed very accessible. Also; because of the early tragic death of his father before him, we wanted badly to see him live out his full life-span. The public had watched him grow up from a young boy and become a man and felt invested in his life. John F. Kennedy Jr. lived in New York City and in those days, he was seen in the local papers, as well as entertainment shows and various media outlets of the day; riding his bike, in Central Park, walking his dog, even sometimes riding the NYC subway. Photographs of him playing water sports and just living his life seemed to be everywhere. So, it was with much sadness and disbelief (again) when we all heard the news that JFK Jr’s plane went missing on July 16th 1999. The wreckage of the plane was eventually found days later. JFK Jr, his wife, and sister all lost their lives on that tragic day on July 16th, 1999.

As I write this, it seems like a lot of sad events occurred in the 90’s. But; there were great events too. One of the biggest, was the launch of The World Wide Web and the arrival of the Information Age. The most important aspect of the 1990s quietly commenced – leading to the creation of all things digital: Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. The 90’s was a significant decade in so many ways. And who could forget those blockbuster movies….Jurassic Park, Titanic, and Forrest Gump. I literally almost jumped out of my seat in the movie theatre, the very first time I saw those dinosaurs appear on the screen in Jurassic Park. Towards the end of the decade, there was much hype and some would say hysteria, about Y2K (the so-called millennium bug). Clearly that never materialized and life and the world, went on as we know it.

Personally, in my life; it was a decade of change, but one of stability. I highlight these two iconic lives because they were a big part of my memories from that decade. Those events of that great decade taught me – life can be so fleeting. We can never take life for granted. You must thrive to live life to its fullest because we just have no control over when things can suddenly change. I think I wrote this piece mostly to remember that exciting, joyful, and unforgettable decade in my own life. Also perhaps, to write from an ‘everyday person’s’ perspective; on how Princess Diana and JFK Jr’s fame was perceived during that snapshot in history. There are already countless books and articles written by people who knew them personally. This, as the anniversary of both their passings approaches. Two people whose lives were so prominent in the decade of the 90’s. Their stars shone so brightly and then they were suddenly gone. RIP….thanks for the memories. And of course, a big salute to the decade of ….the 90’s.