By: Olga Hernandez
Recently, I’ve been on a nostalgia trip, flipping through the dusty pages of old photo albums filled with questionable fashion choices and hairstyles that could only be justified by the era. Yes, my siblings and I proudly declare ourselves as bona fide ‘80-‘90s kids, raised in a world where landlines were a lifeline, computers were bulky boxes, and hairstyles were an adventurous statement. As I traverse through these relics of the past, I can’t help but notice a strange sense of deja vu with today’s fashion trends.
Now, I’m no fashionista, but the younger generation seems to think that deciding between a scrunchie and a butterfly clip is a life-altering decision. Case in point: my daughter, who came home one day raving about her friend Carmen’s bell-bottoms. I chuckled and informed her that this was a blast from the past – a style straight out of the ‘70s. My daughter stared at me as if I was speaking an alien language, insisting that bell-bottoms were the latest trend. Little did she know, fashion has a way of boomeranging into our lives.
I showed her a snapshot of my aunt and sister sporting ripped bell-bottoms from the ‘90s, complete with the eclectic denim color scheme. Her eyes widened with amazement as she realized that what’s considered ”cool” today often has roots in the retro. She even stumbled upon a photo from the ‘90s featuring my sister rocking a cropped top – a trend that’s apparently making a comeback among today’s teen girls. Ah, the joys of parenting a preteen who’s entered the “too cool for school” phase.
In reflecting on the gap between generations, I’ve come to notice how the cool stuff we experienced in the pre-digital age seems unfamiliar to today’s kids. Forget about trendy jeans; let’s talk about the struggle of using rotary phones. Dialing a friend took effort, and heaven forbid you made a mistake on the last digit – back to square one! Portable CDs were our music companions, and protecting them from scratches was an art form. A five-CD case was our ticket to musical freedom, and forgetting it meant being stuck with the same 12 songs on repeat.
Remember the Yellow Pages? That hefty directory was our Google, and if you wanted to order a pizza, you had to dig for the number like a treasure hunter. Want to call a friend? Better know their last name for a successful Yellow Pages expedition. Clothes shopping required a drive to the store, and shopping for insurance involved finding a number or locating a local agent.
Fast-forward to today, and everything is neatly packed into one device – your phone. Need music? Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music and YouTube have got you covered. Forgotten a friend’s number? Let Siri handle it. Craving pizza? Google is your savior. Shopping for insurance? It’s as easy as a few clicks and a chat with an agent. Health Alliance™ has embraced technology, offering online services while keeping our walk-in offices for the traditionalists.
It’s a marvel to think that in the ‘70s, ‘80s- or ‘90s, we had no inkling that all this tech wizardry would one day be at our fingertips. It’s a beautiful evolution, a curse of convenience and a reminder to appreciate where we came from and what shaped us. As we embrace the future, let’s not forget the quirky, inconvenient charm of our past – after all, it’s what makes us who we are. As we journey down memory lane and celebrate the evolution of fashion and technology, let’s not overlook the transformation in the realm of healthcare. Just like our once-trendy bell-bottoms, healthcare has experienced its own shifts. In the past, navigating the labyrinth of health insurance could feel like a maze akin to finding a number in the Yellow Pages. But fear not! Today, with Health Alliance Northwest™, securing the right health coverage is as seamless as streaming your favorite music on Spotify. We’ve embraced the digital era, offering online services for the tech-savvy while keeping our walk-in offices for the traditionalists. So, whether you’re rocking retro styles or embracing the latest trends, rest assured that your health coverage can be just as effortlessly stylish with us. Cheers to the past, present, and future of staying covered in style!
Olga Hernandez is a Community Liaison for Health Alliance Northwest, serving Yakima County. Born and raised in the Yakima Valley, she enjoys fishing alongside her husband and three wonderful children, as well as traveling to at least one new place every year.
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