Updated: March 23, 2021
Originally Published: July 25, 2015
Beach Life in the 1980s
“Want to hit the beach?”
“Absolutely!”
“I’ll be right there!”
In those days, I would hop into my parents’ compact car with a friend. Our essential items included a couple of diet sodas, a bottle of sunscreen, a few magazines, and some towels. The planning process? A mere ten minutes.
Beach Life Today
Now, preparing for a beach trip is a far more complex affair involving a chain of at least ten text messages:
- “Who’s interested in a beach day?”
- “When are we thinking?”
- “Wednesday?”
- “Can’t do that. How about Thursday?”
- “Unavailable. What about Friday?”
- “I can only do Friday afternoon, but parking will be impossible.”
Finally, we arrive at a consensus after much back-and-forth.
On the chosen day, I awaken early to start preparations. I meticulously pack a cooler filled with ice packs, lemonades, juice boxes, and fruit slices, striving for balance amid indulgent snacks. After all, ensuring an ample supply of snacks is crucial for active kids. I prepare a beach bag overflowing with salty, sweet, and mixed snacks.
I wrap sandwiches in plastic, packing extra just in case some get sandy. The responsibility of filling water bottles falls to my tween, who spends ten minutes declaring she cannot find any, despite them being right in front of her. I also fill a gallon container with ice water, acknowledging the importance of hydration, especially in today’s health-conscious climate.
Next, I embark on a quest for sunscreen. I scour various bags and closets, finally assembling an arsenal of sun protection products: face sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, spray, and lotion. The era of Hawaiian Tropic oil is long gone; we now prioritize safeguarding our skin.
I instruct the children to locate their rash guards, met with resistance: “We don’t want to wear those!” and “We can’t find them!” After some searching, I find hats for everyone, knowing they’ll likely be abandoned in the sand, but I pack them anyway for sun protection.
I wrestle our beach umbrella from the garage, brushing off dust and cobwebs. As a middle-aged adult, I can no longer tolerate direct sun exposure without shade. The task of gathering towels falls to my son, who initially claims he can’t find any but eventually surfaces with a crumpled bag of towels.
The most significant addition to our beach outing is folding chairs. As an adult, lying on the sand is no longer feasible; I need a place to sit comfortably. I meticulously pack these, feeling quite responsible.
Next, we gather beach toys: boogie boards, footballs, and shovels to keep the kids entertained—because boredom at the beach is simply unacceptable. And we cannot forget the goggles; swimming without them is unthinkable for current generations, unlike my own experience of swimming freely with saltwater in our eyes.
Before heading out, I grab Band-Aids for inevitable scrapes and bug spray to fend off pesky insects. From the initial planning text to finally leaving, the duration spans ten days and three hours.
With a magazine added to the pile, I hold onto the hope that beach days could return to their simpler, carefree essence of the ’80s.
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In summary, the evolution of beach outings from the carefree days of the ’80s to today’s meticulously planned excursions reflects broader societal changes. The essence of leisure may remain, but the preparations have transformed dramatically.