Born in the 1970s (Opening the Dust-Covered Memories)

Author: Yang Mei, Huang Rong, Xiao Yue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features:
Everyday busy work almost makes us forget the meaning of time. Day and night, under the shade of the OFFICE curtain wall, become a fleeting landscape; spring, summer, autumn, and winter, in the alternation of air conditioning, have long lost their original significance. It seems that we have always been chasing after a goal. It seems that we have also been constantly losing some memories that should have been cherished. I am very grateful to my good friend for sending this gift during this hot summer. It is a memory belonging to a generation, or perhaps something worth sharing with a generation. It makes us feel that the corner in our hearts, which we thought had been forgotten, is still warm and humid.
People born in the 1970s are a group that has now become, or is becoming, or will become the backbone of this society. Compared to their older siblings from the 1960s, they are more sensitive to new things. Compared to their younger siblings from the 1980s, they carry more distinct marks of Chinese tradition. Their childhood was also turbulent, but that turbulence was more blurred and not deeply engraved. Their youth was not materially wealthy, but they were not separated from each other by security gates in high-rise buildings, and they were filled with the joy of collective games. Although this joy seems to contain very little high-tech content today, it still radiates warmth and reality with hands intertwined. Their youth was filled with too many shocks. This shock was not only the baptism of foreign culture when China's doors began to open, but more so from within themselves. Their eyes, ears, and gradually fuller bodies endured a series of pains and joys as the ancient nation regained its youthful glow. They had to work hard to adapt to and accept too many new things, and as their minds gradually matured, the winds of time swept them to the peaks and plunged them into the valleys. And now, the goal that most of us pursue has quietly and stubbornly taken root in our hearts at that time. This goal might come from a movie, a TV series, a pop song, or even a novel.
People born in the 1970s have not experienced the internet during their growth. Therefore, relatively speaking, their world is simpler: although their horizons are not yet broad, they are also free from the mix of good and bad, like muddy sand and dragons and snakes; so, their memories are relatively monochromatic but still warm as before. This kind of memory may not be enough to outline the characteristics of a generation's growth, but it is the track of a generation's spiritual growth. This track is especially worth reminiscing and recalling in today's chaotic era.
Preface by Lin Hai, a famous host:
The term "born in the 1970s" is gradually becoming a concept and a label for a generation. In the online world, discussions about "born in the 1970s" and the works of various netizens have drawn more attention to this hot topic. On the Bokee China website (www.bokee.com), the special topic "The Great Debate on '70s People'" has prompted countless "born in the 1970s" individuals to reminisce about the classic memories that once moved them. The authors of this book hope that I can talk about the characteristics of "born in the 1970s" in my eyes. I believe that there are no simple words to summarize this entire decade-spanning generation. I can only say that the experiences of 70s people are special, and their fortune is lucky.
The experiences of 70s people are special. In their childhood, they experienced some material scarcity and felt the social spirit that prioritized faith and ideals, but when they grew up, they caught the booming period of social development and accepted more material and realistic values. Thus, they are different from the 1960s, when people drank and talked about life, and the 1980s, when people discussed fashion and sensuality. They neither had the perseverance of the 1960s nor the carefree attitude of the 1980s.
The fortune of 70s people is lucky. As the operator of Bokee China, I also have many friends born in the 1970s. In terms of the internet industry, which I am most familiar with, 70s people and 60s people together seized the opportunity and stage of the internet, and the era gave rise to a generation of 70s internet elites. They seized the chance of the imbalance between talent supply and social development, bridged the gap between age and experience, and together with the 60s people, grasped the opportunities of the era's development.
I was born in 1969, and my childhood was in the 1970s, and my youth was in the 1980s. I have many memories similar to those of people born in the early to mid-1970s. When I was a child, I often ran to play marbles and collect picture cards with my friends after school, I secretly saved money to borrow the little picture books I liked from book stalls, and I sat on a small stool to watch TV at my neighbor's house. In my youth, I also loved listening to "Childhood" and "Love Song 1990," I was once obsessed with Xiao Hu Dui and Zhou Runfa, and I sang "Never Give Up Youth" with great enthusiasm. All of this is deeply buried in my memory. When I casually open this book, I find the shadows of the past, and the long-forgotten memories are once again reawakened. That innocent and carefree childhood, that passionate youth, that unrestrained youth, make me rediscover the long-lost emotion.