100-Million Years Ago in Reston, The Cable Guy Arrived: What's New?

I first stepped foot in Reston 100-million years ago, give or take, when I was in college and on winter break, and now that I've returned, I have a question for you Restonians, which you'll find below.

My mission back then: To push lousy cable television onto the masses so that I'd have the money to continue packing four years of college into only six years.

The dialogue on the porches and in the living rooms of Reston went something like this:

Male Homeowner With No Wife Around: "Tell me about that Playboy Channel."

College Kid Trying to Make a Buck: "All I can tell you is it has the most beautiful women in the world — fully naked."

Male Homeowner With No Wife Around: "Where do I sign?! Where do I sign!"

When a wife or girlfriend was home, of course, the questions tended more toward the Disney Channel (which you had to pay for back then), and the answers were about Mickey Mouse and Goofy, with no mention of nudity, full or otherwise.

And because cable was a monopoly back then — it was actually the mid-1980s — sales were easy, to the benefit of my college bookstore and even more to the benefit of my college bartenders.

I was reminded of those glory days last week when I strolled through Reston once again, not shocked but certainly surprised at just how much Li'l Ol' Reston had all growed up. 

So, my knowledge of Reston is now informed by more than which cable packages people were willing to spring for back in the day and how those choices were influenced on just which gender happened to be home.

What I know from Reston Patch and from my visit last week is that the "town" has become a "city," the rather sleepy place of my college years now a vibrant, happening, pretty cool place to live and work. 

Here's the truth, though: I didn't learn a ton about Reston during my trip there last week, and I don't remember all that much about Reston from my visit nearly 30 years ago. (I was in college, remember?) I do remember that it wasn't what I saw last week.

So, Reston, a question for you: How has the city changed over the years? If you don't remember it from the mid '80s, how's it different from the mid '90s? Or even five years ago?

I'll make you a deal: Tell me about Reston, please, in the comments section below, and I promise never to push crappy cable in your city again.

Todd Richissin is a Patch associate regional editor.