I was born in 53 but would say I grew up in the sixties. There were some leftover beatniks from the fifties hanging around but the hippies were gaining ground. A few greasers too, with their hot rods. Those Beatles from merry old England showed up with their long hair singing yay,yay, yay. The race to enlightenment had begun. Before the end of that decade a lot of social change would happen. In some ways we are still trying to catch up with them today.
Keep in mind these are only my observations and thoughts. They may or may not be accurate. I was thinking about the music and the bands. It seems to me once they got a drum set, a bass guitar and a lead/rhythm things started going wild. Now those Beatles started out alright, except for that long hair. wearing a suit and tie. We all know what happened in the end, tie dyed tee shirts and hanging out with the Dalai Lama. Yellow submarines and abbey road. More Brits followed and more rock and roll. Eventually we wound up with KISS. It was a wild ride for sure. In the sixties we were encouraged to tune in and drop out man ! We started smoking funny things,as Kid Rock says, and expanding our mind.
Some became involved in revolution. Again those Beatles were singing about that. Communes developed and the concept of " free love. " Everything was groovy. Mustang Sally was riding the highways and Hanoi Jane was a hollerin". Vietnam was raging' and those dying were being vilified by the hippies. The National Guard fired on some protesting students at Kent State University. On Broadway the musical Jesus Christ Superstar was creating quite a stir.
I lived in New York state then. On the eastern end of Long Island in East Hampton. That was before it was called the Hamptons. We had the " city folks " there alright but they left after Labor day and wouldn't be back until Memorial day. We had all the little Mom and Pop stores on main street. I would say East Hampton was a lot like Mayberry during the " off season. " I could ride my bicycle anywhere and leave it sitting. No one is going to steal it because that is Bens' bike. The drinking age for beer and liquor was 18 and condoms were behind the counter. You could snag am occasional Playboy if you had connections. Our " sex education " was a film in the gym, at night, with your father having to bring you. The girls went on a different night ! I remember there were " drawings " showing various parts. And that was the last you heard about that in school !
Now I was not part of the progressive crowd. I pretty much clung to the old ways, except in music. I did listen to the music on the radio. Truth is we didn't have much choice. I mean you could listen to Mom and Dads station but that wasn't too cool. I listened to Dads' station though when I spent time with him. Speaking of which, Quality time to him meant getting some work done ! It does have a different meaning today. I was not allowed to grow my hair long and dress like one of those dirty hippies. No sir, you ain't going out of my house looking like that.
The sixties were a time of change. I know that can be said for each decade and a case could be made to support that. Living in the sixties it just felt natural. It was just the way it was. Now looking back forty or fifty years it takes on a different look altogether. It is comfortable, that much is sure, but memory has a way of polishing things. Tends to make them shine ! Everything happens for a reason I suppose and when I think of the sixties and growing up back then I am contemplative. Making sense of the sixties. It just might take a lifetime to understand.
Keep in mind these are only my observations and thoughts. They may or may not be accurate. I was thinking about the music and the bands. It seems to me once they got a drum set, a bass guitar and a lead/rhythm things started going wild. Now those Beatles started out alright, except for that long hair. wearing a suit and tie. We all know what happened in the end, tie dyed tee shirts and hanging out with the Dalai Lama. Yellow submarines and abbey road. More Brits followed and more rock and roll. Eventually we wound up with KISS. It was a wild ride for sure. In the sixties we were encouraged to tune in and drop out man ! We started smoking funny things,as Kid Rock says, and expanding our mind.
Some became involved in revolution. Again those Beatles were singing about that. Communes developed and the concept of " free love. " Everything was groovy. Mustang Sally was riding the highways and Hanoi Jane was a hollerin". Vietnam was raging' and those dying were being vilified by the hippies. The National Guard fired on some protesting students at Kent State University. On Broadway the musical Jesus Christ Superstar was creating quite a stir.
I lived in New York state then. On the eastern end of Long Island in East Hampton. That was before it was called the Hamptons. We had the " city folks " there alright but they left after Labor day and wouldn't be back until Memorial day. We had all the little Mom and Pop stores on main street. I would say East Hampton was a lot like Mayberry during the " off season. " I could ride my bicycle anywhere and leave it sitting. No one is going to steal it because that is Bens' bike. The drinking age for beer and liquor was 18 and condoms were behind the counter. You could snag am occasional Playboy if you had connections. Our " sex education " was a film in the gym, at night, with your father having to bring you. The girls went on a different night ! I remember there were " drawings " showing various parts. And that was the last you heard about that in school !
Now I was not part of the progressive crowd. I pretty much clung to the old ways, except in music. I did listen to the music on the radio. Truth is we didn't have much choice. I mean you could listen to Mom and Dads station but that wasn't too cool. I listened to Dads' station though when I spent time with him. Speaking of which, Quality time to him meant getting some work done ! It does have a different meaning today. I was not allowed to grow my hair long and dress like one of those dirty hippies. No sir, you ain't going out of my house looking like that.
The sixties were a time of change. I know that can be said for each decade and a case could be made to support that. Living in the sixties it just felt natural. It was just the way it was. Now looking back forty or fifty years it takes on a different look altogether. It is comfortable, that much is sure, but memory has a way of polishing things. Tends to make them shine ! Everything happens for a reason I suppose and when I think of the sixties and growing up back then I am contemplative. Making sense of the sixties. It just might take a lifetime to understand.
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