1984 the Pop Song

The prompt asked for “a song that captures your experience at a crossroads in life.” My mind instantly jumped to the Eurythmics—classic ‘80s vibes. But the song that really stuck with me was the one from the 1984 movie, even though the film itself made no sense to me.

Around that time I left home and my family behind. My friends tossed out everything I’d collected over my childhood—stuff they’d been holding onto for me. Losing all that felt exactly like the bleak, oppressive world of 1984. It seemed like they were actually glad to see me go.

I was thrown into an alien, unsettling place, convinced I’d find everything I needed there—only to be hit by a cascade of mental turmoil and a looming fear of serious brain illness. It was reckless and unrealistic. Slowly, I started drifting away from reality, and my friends turned their backs on me.

Just when things looked like they might end badly—either self‑destruction or worse—a kind soul stepped in and cared for me. In that moment, the nightmarish, 1984-style darkness began to lift, replaced by a surprising sense of comfort.