Everyday People

  I grew up in East Hampton New York on the eastern end of long island. That was long before they called it the Hamptons and the rich used it for a playground. Yes, the wealthy were there then, mostly clustered in their ocean front community, playing golf and throwing money at the peasants every now and again. They even had a fancy name for that, philanthropy. I was taught it was really a tax write off. When you have a lot of money you have to give some away in order to save some. I figured it was the same thing as buying something on sale not because you needed it, but because you were saving money. That was in their world not mine.

 In many ways we were quite sheltered and naive about things in the world outside our little community. My parents' generation had gone off to fight WW2 but other than that rarely traveled more than twenty-five miles from home. Those of us that lived below the bridge were a clannish lot, minding our own business for the most part. I was a part of that. Those living above the bridge, the up Streeters we called them, were a bit more contemporary. That's where the business owners lived, the professionals and the cool kids. All of that began to get blurred towards the end of the 1960's. The age of Aquarius. The fifth dimension sang about that in 1969. The age of love, light and humanity. The hippies loved it and those of us below the bridge laughed about it. 

 I tell you this because I went into the Navy in 1971. That is what I took with me. I had been to New York City before, a distance of one hundred miles from home so I was no rookie! It was however my first airplane flight, nothing bad happened. I arrived with my friend, we had joined on the buddy plan, in Chicago and was bused to the Great Lakes Naval Training Facility. Eventually we were assigned to a company. I was in a rifle company (Co, 266) and my buddy was assigned to the band. I did see him once or twice while marching around the base. The buddy plan! We were on the same base, so I guess that counts. We both graduated on schedule and went across the street to attend our respective "A" schools. 

 We were in separate barracks, attending different schools but did get to see each other often. We would meet up and talk about the things that were happening. My friend had a roommate that we suspected was selling and using drugs! That was quite unsettling to us, and we weren't quite sure what to do. Should we report that? It was quite the moral conundrum. 

 I should mention that my best friends all lived above the bridge and were up Streeters! I was a bit of a rebel I suppose hanging out with the cool kids and all. But I had discovered they were pretty much the same as everyone else. The world was changing me. Sometimes we would take a train and escape to some small town away from the Navy base, a place where they didn't look at sailors in quite the same way. Outside that Navy base you were a mark! People attempting to sell you everything from a portrait to give to your mother, to jewelry, and drugs! I recall going to a village called Winnetka. There was a town ice skating pond and an old-fashioned malt shop. We were treated differently there; with respect you might say.

 We graduated our schools and went to sea. I did meet up with him in Germany and in Scotland. Our ships were moored close together, although my ship being a tanker was almost always at a Nato fuel pier when in port away from home. Other ships would be anchored out visiting the same port. But we got together. By then we were both salty dogs and not so naive about the world. Although I wouldn't say that we were really naive, just surprised when we personally experienced what we had heard about, if you know what I mean. There really were ladies on the street corners and they weren't waiting to cross the street. There were those selling marijuana and other drugs. All the sins of the city that I heard about where there, before my very eyes. 

 All of that seems like a lifetime ago and just yesterday at the same time. My friend now lives in Colorado, far from Long Island and the water. We haven't seen each other in years. But we talk sometimes. We still discuss those moral dilemmas we all face in life. We journey back to that time. Not much changes in the world when you think about it. I heard that it was the "dawning of the age of Aquarius" in 1969. I've got to say it has been a slow dawn! If this is what the age of Aquarius is going to be, let's go back. We should have been paid attention to Sly and the Family Stone when they sang Everyday People. We would all be better off. 

[Verse 1]

Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong

My own beliefs are in my song

The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then

Makes no difference what group I'm in

I am everyday people