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Our parents weren't always parents. Yes, I know, that sounds self-explanatory, but let that sink in. Before these people were changing our diapers, they were young, wild, and free to do whatever they desired. In many cases, their old lives were even more impressive than our current ones. Building motorcycles, stopping bank robberies... It's one thing to hear those stories, but it's another to see photographic proof.

Surprised by and proud of their parents' past, people are sharing photos of their moms and dads on the subreddit r/OldSchoolCool. So continue scrolling to take a trip back in time to when they were rocking leather jackets and high-waisted jeans and when you're done, check out similar Bored Panda articles here and here.

#1

My Mama Circa '83. This Explains Why I'm The Uncoolest Person Ever, Cos She Took It All! Oh And That Bike? She Built It

My Mama Circa '83. This Explains Why I'm The Uncoolest Person Ever, Cos She Took It All! Oh And That Bike? She Built It

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varwenea avatar
varwenea
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Badass and capable mom with a badass bike. 👍👍👍

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Interestingly. what is considered to be cool changes all the time. Research led by a University of Rochester Medical Center psychologist and published by the Journal of Individual Differences has discovered the characteristics associated with coolness today are quite different than those that gave birth to the concept of cool.

"When I set out to find what people mean by coolness, I wanted to find corroboration of what I thought coolness was," said Ilan Dar-Nimrod, Ph.D., lead author of Coolness: An Empirical Investigation. "I was not prepared to find that coolness has lost so much of its historical origins and meaning—the very heavy countercultural, somewhat individualistic pose I associated with [it]."

#2

My Mom At 18 Years Old Protesting The Kkk In 1976 Atlanta, Ga

My Mom At 18 Years Old Protesting The Kkk In 1976 Atlanta, Ga

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Dar-Nimrod and his colleagues recruited almost 1,000 people in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area, who completed an extensive questionnaire on the attributes, behaviors and individuals they associated with the word cool.

They did that by conducting three separate studies. In Study 1, participants generated characteristics that they perceived to be cool. In Study 2, two samples of participants rated dozens of these characteristics on two dimensions: coolness and social desirability. In Study 3, participants rated friends both on their coolness and on a variety of personality descriptors that were identified as relevant in the other studies.

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A significant number of participants chose adjectives that focused on positive, socially desirable traits, such as friendly, competent, trendy and attractive.

#3

My Mother When She Was A Tank Instructor In 1984

My Mother When She Was A Tank Instructor In 1984

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"Today, ... sociability is considered to be cool, being nice is considered to be cool. And in an oxymoron, being passionate is considered to be cool—at least, it is part of the dominant perception of what coolness is. How can you combine the idea of cool—emotionally controlled and distant—with passionate?" Dar-Nimrod said surprised by the results.

Participants in the study still appreciated the traditional elements of cool, such as rebelliousness and detachment, but nowhere near as strongly as friendliness and warmth.

"We have a kind of a schizophrenic coolness concept in our mind," Dar-Nimrod said. "Almost any one of us will be cool in some people’s eyes, which suggests the idiosyncratic way coolness is evaluated. But some will be judged as cool in many people’s eyes, which suggests there is a core valuation to coolness, and today that does not seem to be the historical nature of cool. We suggest there is some transition from the countercultural cool to a generic version of it’s good and I like it. But this transition is by no way completed."

So I guess, in a way, you could say that these parents were ahead of their time.

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#4

My Mom Would Always Talk About How She Was An Editor For Tiger Beat Magazine When She Was A Teenager In The 1960’s. She Would Brag About Spending Time With The Stones And The Beatles. We Always Thought She Was Telling Tall Tales. Uncovered This Pic Cleaning Out Her House Last Week

My Mom Would Always Talk About How She Was An Editor For Tiger Beat Magazine When She Was A Teenager In The 1960’s. She Would Brag About Spending Time With The Stones And The Beatles. We Always Thought She Was Telling Tall Tales. Uncovered This Pic Cleaning Out Her House Last Week

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Kirsten Kerkhof
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think she's entitled to an 'I told you so.' and you're going to have to accept that.

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#7

My Dad Skateboarding At Hyde School 1982. I Think He Was Cooler Than Me

My Dad Skateboarding At Hyde School 1982. I Think He Was Cooler Than Me

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#9

My Dad And Friends Look Like The Cast Of Stranger Things (1982)

My Dad And Friends Look Like The Cast Of Stranger Things (1982)

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#10

My Mom, 1954. She Came To America In 1948 At Age 18. She Hardly Spoke English And Was Looked Down On Because She Was German And A War Bride. She Later Did Some Modeling - This Is Just One Of Many Beautiful Photos We Have Of Her

My Mom, 1954. She Came To America In 1948 At Age 18. She Hardly Spoke English And Was Looked Down On Because She Was German And A War Bride. She Later Did Some Modeling - This Is Just One Of Many Beautiful Photos We Have Of Her

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#11

My Mom In ‘78, Glendale, Ca. Newly Immigrated From Japan And Working Her Butt Off -But Still Managed To Save Up And Buy This Chevy Impala For $500

My Mom In ‘78, Glendale, Ca. Newly Immigrated From Japan And Working Her Butt Off -But Still Managed To Save Up And Buy This Chevy Impala For $500

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#12

My Mom Looking Like A Queen On Her Wedding Day 1979

My Mom Looking Like A Queen On Her Wedding Day 1979

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#13

France, 1985. My Mom Feeding Me Backstage During A Ballet Dancing Show

France, 1985. My Mom Feeding Me Backstage During A Ballet Dancing Show

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#14

My Pregnant Mom At Gunpoint Trying To Get Home. May 1969, Berkeley

My Pregnant Mom At Gunpoint Trying To Get Home. May 1969, Berkeley

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#15

Mom, Circa 1970, After Completing Her Master's, The First Woman In Her Family To Do So

Mom, Circa 1970, After Completing Her Master's, The First Woman In Her Family To Do So

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#16

My Mother Skateboarding Barefoot In California, 1974

My Mother Skateboarding Barefoot In California, 1974

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ronelduplessis avatar
Ronel du Plessis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Skateboards back then was VERY narrow. Even up to late 80's, only then it really started to change to the wider ones.

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Izsabelle Norby
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

skateboards from the 70s and early 80s were about the same size a penny, banana, even rocket board is in the US, and they didn't get their curvy shape until the 60s. Boards in the 40s up into the late 50s were square. The longboard didn't come out until the 1969-ish making the boards become bigger because of control, but penny boards were still the groove up until the the mid 80s early 90s then cruisers were a banger early 2000s made skateboarding really hit the market and the regular skateboard we see today is mostly for tricks (tony hawk VIBES) Boards like penny, banana, and rocket boards made a boom again in 2010-2015. And now today you can find any board deck shape you want, even square or surfboard long :)

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Catlady6000
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those square boards in the 40s-50s were often homemade with just a piece of scrap lumber and wheels from your sisters worn out skates

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Anne Atkins
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Freestyle ones (not the ones you use in pools/pipes) were really small back then.

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Linda Johnson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

GOSH THIS SURE BRINGS BACK A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES....BEEN THERE DONE THAT

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#18

My Mom And Dad Building Their House In 1953. My Mom (91 Now) Still Lives There

My Mom And Dad Building Their House In 1953. My Mom (91 Now) Still Lives There

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#19

My Mom's All Girl Rock Band In The 60's

My Mom's All Girl Rock Band In The 60's

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tomruns12
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Im starting to think shoes weren't invented until the mid 1980's.

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#20

My Dad In The Late 80s / Early 90s. One Of The First Rockers In China

My Dad In The Late 80s / Early 90s. One Of The First Rockers In China

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#21

My Dad Was A Popstar In Argentina. Here He Is With Ella Fitzgerald, Mid 1960s

My Dad Was A Popstar In Argentina. Here He Is With Ella Fitzgerald, Mid 1960s

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#23

Me Looking Up To My Fighter Pilot Dad In The Late 1980's

Me Looking Up To My Fighter Pilot Dad In The Late 1980's

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#24

My Dad At The 1966 International Science Fair. He Was A Finalist In 65, 66, And 67. In This Picture He Created A Perfusion System To Keep A Rat Kidney Alive When Removed From The Body, Like A Heart-Lung Machine

My Dad At The 1966 International Science Fair. He Was A Finalist In 65, 66, And 67. In This Picture He Created A Perfusion System To Keep A Rat Kidney Alive When Removed From The Body, Like A Heart-Lung Machine

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#25

My Mom And Bob Ross During An Event In Central Park, NYC In 1989

My Mom And Bob Ross During An Event In Central Park, NYC In 1989

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#26

48 Beers And A Unicycle. My Dad In The Early 80s

48 Beers And A Unicycle. My Dad In The Early 80s

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#27

My Parents When They Were 16 And 17 (1987). They’ve Been Together For 34 Years Now

My Parents When They Were 16 And 17 (1987). They’ve Been Together For 34 Years Now

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#28

My Mom In The Early 90s. She Painted Her Own Shield

My Mom In The Early 90s. She Painted Her Own Shield

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#30

My Cool Mom Partying With Robin Williams And Billy Crystal In LA, 1982

My Cool Mom Partying With Robin Williams And Billy Crystal In LA, 1982

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#31

My Dad Taking A Selfie, Using A Piece Of Wood To Activate The Shutter, Circa 1957

My Dad Taking A Selfie, Using A Piece Of Wood To Activate The Shutter, Circa 1957

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#32

After Their First Fight, My Dad Apologized To My Mom Through Polaroids. The True Og Of Apologies, My Man (1987)

After Their First Fight, My Dad Apologized To My Mom Through Polaroids. The True Og Of Apologies, My Man (1987)

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#33

My Dad Wasn't Famous, But His Moves Were Pretty Cool (1977)

My Dad Wasn't Famous, But His Moves Were Pretty Cool (1977)

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#34

My Dad And His Partner While They Were Undercover. This Picture Was Taken After They Stopped A Bank Robbery In The Late 70s

My Dad And His Partner While They Were Undercover. This Picture Was Taken After They Stopped A Bank Robbery In The Late 70s

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#35

Found This Old Picture Of My Dad From Back In 1976. I Feel Like The Picture Captures An Awful Lot And Tells A Story

Found This Old Picture Of My Dad From Back In 1976. I Feel Like The Picture Captures An Awful Lot And Tells A Story

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#36

My Dad In Saudi Arabia In The 70's Working As A Us Military Contractor Diving In The Red Sea

My Dad In Saudi Arabia In The 70's Working As A Us Military Contractor Diving In The Red Sea

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#37

My Dad's First Car, A 1939 Ford. He Bought It With His Own Money That He Earned While Farming. He Was 11 When He Bought It, So This Photo Was Taken In 1948

My Dad's First Car, A 1939 Ford. He Bought It With His Own Money That He Earned While Farming. He Was 11 When He Bought It, So This Photo Was Taken In 1948

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#38

My Dad Showing Mr. Rogers The Process Of Designing Toys On Mr. Rogers Neighborhood (1986)

My Dad Showing Mr. Rogers The Process Of Designing Toys On Mr. Rogers Neighborhood (1986)

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Toasty
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anything pertaining to Mr. Rogers gets an instantaneous upvote.

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#39

My Mom Immigrated To The US From Iran In November, 1978. Here She Is Dressed As Wonder Woman A Year Later

My Mom Immigrated To The US From Iran In November, 1978. Here She Is Dressed As Wonder Woman A Year Later

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#40

My Dad Taking A Smoking Break While Fighting Saddam Husseins Army In The 80s

My Dad Taking A Smoking Break While Fighting Saddam Husseins Army In The 80s

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#41

Mom Wasn't The Pilot, But She Was A Tech On The F-4 Phantom Back In The 80's

Mom Wasn't The Pilot, But She Was A Tech On The F-4 Phantom Back In The 80's

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#42

Mom’s Senior Portrait That My Grandma Refused To Let Her Publish In The Year Book (1976)

Mom’s Senior Portrait That My Grandma Refused To Let Her Publish In The Year Book (1976)

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#43

My Dad 1969 Bronx, NY. Speaking Against The Vietnam War

My Dad 1969 Bronx, NY. Speaking Against The Vietnam War

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#44

My Dad (Left) Looking Like A Young Luke Skywalker, Chile, 1977

My Dad (Left) Looking Like A Young Luke Skywalker, Chile, 1977

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#45

Mid To Late 1970s, My Dad Graduating A Class Taught By Chuck Norris

Mid To Late 1970s, My Dad Graduating A Class Taught By Chuck Norris

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#46

My Dad's Graduation Photo. Circa 1970's

My Dad's Graduation Photo. Circa 1970's

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Julia Atkinson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He looks like a stage magician - "For my next trick I will pull a fully-grown dog out of my hat"

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#47

My Dad And A Tiny Kitten Looking Like A Modern Hipster In The Early 1980s

My Dad And A Tiny Kitten Looking Like A Modern Hipster In The Early 1980s

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#48

My Mom At 16 Yrs Old With Her Camaro In 1975

My Mom At 16 Yrs Old With Her Camaro In 1975

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#49

My Mom Voting For The First Time In A Presidential Election In 1972 In Indiana, Pa

My Mom Voting For The First Time In A Presidential Election In 1972 In Indiana, Pa

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#50

I Always Knew My Mom Was A Tough Lady. Photo Taken Circa 1985

I Always Knew My Mom Was A Tough Lady. Photo Taken Circa 1985

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Note: this post originally had 120 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.