Flashback: October 5, 1986

We Are Cleared For Takeoff

October 1986… when the air smelled faintly of Aqua Net and cassette plastic. Whether you were navigating high-school hallways or getting used to dorm-room freedom, the soundtrack of fall was pure pop perfection.

Janet Jackson was proving she could stand toe-to-toe with her brother, Huey Lewis was crooning about commitment, and MTV was still the pulse of youth culture.

The headlines told a different story…President Reagan was juggling Iran-Contra rumors, the Cold War was rumbling on, and NASA was still grounded after the Challenger tragedy. But for most of us, world affairs took a back seat to weekend plans, mixtape curation, and whether to spend three-fifty on a movie ticket or two slices of pizza.

Gas was under a dollar, Coke and Pepsi were in a marketing dogfight, and Top Gun made us all believe aviator shades were a life necessity. We didn’t realize it then, but we were living in the middle of the most quotable, color-saturated decade ever and it felt like nothing could go wrong as long as the Walkman batteries held out.

So dust off your Members Only jacket, grab a can of Tab, and let’s head back to the week when shoulder pads soared, synthesizers reigned, and “cool” was spelled with neon.

This Mixtape Memory Lane is sponsored by 50 Ways to Keep Your Lover.

Mixtape Memory Lane 

🎧 “Stuck With You” by Huey Lewis & The News

Huey Lewis slowed things down with a love song so sincere it made even cynics hum along. It was the kind of song that made long-term love sound easy, even if most of us were still figuring out high school crushes.

🎧 “When I Think of You” by Janet Jackson

Janet’s first #1 hit was more than a pop single…it was her declaration of independence. Control wasn’t just an album title; it was a mission statement.

🎧 “Two of Hearts” by Stacey Q

This synth-pop earworm ruled dance floors and roller rinks alike. One listen, and it was permanently embedded in your mental playlist.

🎧 “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” by Glass Tiger

Canada’s contribution to our week’s soundtrack…a polished mix of optimism, earnestness, and just enough Bryan Adams backup swagger to make it stick.

🎧 “Walk This Way” by Run-D.M.C. (with Aerosmith)

Walk This Way was a bold reimagining of Aerosmith’s 1975 classic, and it turned Run-D.M.C. into global superstars. The video, where the two groups literally break through a wall to meet in the middle, became an instant MTV legend.

👆 Watch the full throwback video playlist on YouTube Music.

Screen Time Rewind 

October 1986 was pure entertainment overload. In theaters, Top Gun was still flying high months after release, convincing half of America they could handle Mach 2 and Ray-Bans.

Aliens proved sequels could outdo originals, The Fly made Jeff Goldblum a horror icon, and Stand By Me lingered like a late-summer memory, equal parts nostalgia and ache.

On TV, Miami Vice still defined cool with pastel suits, no socks, and a Phil Collins beat.  Dynasty turned shoulder pads into armor, and L.A. Law made legal drama appointment viewing.

Back then, you had to show up on time or miss the moment…no streaming, no replays, no “catch it later.” If you were out on Friday night, you spent Saturday begging a friend to borrow the VHS tape of the Dallas episode you missed.

This Life Reboot is sponsored by La’Merde Designs apparel.

Life Reboot: Body

The Sleep We Skipped

In the 80s, sleep was for the boring. We bragged about how little we needed…pulling all-nighters for finals, parties, or “just one more episode” of Miami Vice. Coffee, NoDoz, and willpower kept us going, and we believed being tired was just the cost of ambition.

Fast-forward to today, and the science is crystal clear: sleep isn’t optional. It’s one of the biggest predictors of longevity, brain health, and emotional stability.

For GenXers now juggling midlife, work, and whatever fresh chaos adulthood throws at us, it’s the difference between aging well and just…aging.

Here’s what we know now that we didn’t back then:

• Sleep is when your brain takes out the trash. Literally. During deep sleep, your body clears toxins that build up in the brain, a process linked to lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

• Skipping sleep messes with your metabolism. Those late nights we used to wear like badges of honor? They spike cortisol, increase appetite, and make it harder to regulate blood sugar.

• Recovery happens overnight. Muscle repair, hormone balance, and immune function all depend on consistent rest. No supplement or smoothie can replace that.

• Your mood depends on it. A full night’s rest can do more for anxiety and focus than half the coping mechanisms we learned in the 90s.

And while we used to treat sleep as downtime, we’re learning it’s one of the most productive things we can do. Good sleep is like compound interest…the more you invest, the better your body and brain perform.

👉This week’s challenge: forget “rise and grind.” Try “rest and restore.” Turn off the screens, dim the lights, and skip that third scroll through social media. If the 80s taught us how to hustle, midlife is teaching us how to heal and it all starts with shutting our eyes.

Visual Feature is sponsored by Practical Advice from the Scriptures.

Visual Feature: From the Archives

Iran-Contra Scandal

On October 5, 1986, a cargo plane carrying weapons to the Nicaraguan Contras was shot down, and its sole surviving crew member, Eugene Hasenfus, was captured. His testimony and the documents recovered in the crash unraveled decades of clandestine arms transfers and secret funding funnels.

What followed was a political firestorm. At its heart, Iran-Contra was a study in contradictions: the U.S. publicly opposing arms trafficking, while secretly orchestrating it; loudly condemning hostage negotiations while tacitly participating in them; and demanding accountability while shielding insiders.

For our GenX generation, it became one of those moments when the “grownups in charge” looked less infallible. The scandal left scars on public trust, executive authority, and foreign policy doctrine.

Life Reboot is sponsored by La’Merde Designs.

Mixtape Memory Lane is sponsored by 50 Ways to Keep Your Lover.

Landing Gear Down

That’s our smooth landing back from October 1986…a world before smartphones, before streaming, and somehow, before we realized how good analog life really was.

The Cold War was still on the radar, the economy was cruising, and our biggest decision was whether to tape Miami Vice or head to the Friday-night football game. Simpler times…just with bigger hair.

So this week, share the ride. Send this edition to someone who remembers swearing Pepsi Free tasted different. After all, nostalgia’s meant to be experienced with your wingmen.

Until next time, keep your playlist loud, your memories close, and your altitude steady. Because like Maverick said… “I feel the need—the need for speed.”