I got my graduate degree from the University of Hawaii in the late 60's just as the Hippie culture was getting established. While the drug scene was delayed in spreading its mellow yellow across the Pacific Islands, it had arrived in full force by the time I was there. You may have read my Mary Jane story. If not go here and I will wait.
I have always used the excuse that I was too poor and too serious about my education degree to get caught up in even the milder illegal drug scene as a young adult. That reason is probably an artificial excuse. I never would have been a good hippie. The young man with the long flying blonde pageboy and flute in hand who asked me if I wanted to live in his cave up Manoa Valley when I was crossing campus one day got only a smile from me and not even a second thought. I guess I was born older than my age. I could see ten years down the road to the future after that cave of free smokin-free sex- good times. I was like an old adult already in my mind. I am sure that I was clearly no real fun at parties even though legal alcohol flowed freely.
I have revisited this part of my personality upon retirement. Today I washed 21 double hung, casement or french door windows. Yes, 21!! My hubby came back to the house for some business and yard work and I decided that this day had to be filled with some accomplishment on my part. I even vacuumed the layer of pollen from all the screens. I can see the green mansions clearly now.
I took a warm jacuzzi to ease the aches and pains from this labor and then put on my soft white robe and sprawled across my bed with a good book. I am such a Puritanical spirit that I cannot just enjoy such an activity without it being a reward for some work well done. I am the kind of free spirit hippie that Gandhi was. I understand his approach to life. I never felt in sync with Jack Kerouac or Jerry Garcia. The 60's were clearly wasted on me.
I was too old (and already married by '64) to participate in them either - but I looked longingly when I saw them on TV and wished I'd been born at least 5-7 years later! LOL
ReplyDeleteAnd the 40s were wasted on me. Not that anything was going on.....
ReplyDeleteI never got the whole drug culture thing. I think I was too afraid of frying my brain to even try. I think I'm naturally drugged, anyway.
ReplyDeleteWanted to let you know you won the latest Caption This over on my little blog. Hope you'll drop by and take a bow!
I wish I could be as disciplined as you. I know that I'd enjoy my leisure better if it was earned, but I tend to flop across the bed with a good book BEFORE doing whatever has get done. When intervening thoughts of what I have to do become too persistent, I finally get up and down some caffeine for extra motivation.
ReplyDeleteBut tell me this: do you or others keep your e-mail closed until you do whatever computer work awaits each day? I also do the fun part - of checking my e-mail, before getting down to my writing or whatever else I have to do. Wish I could be different!
Hoss, I cannot imagine that you were not involved in something nefarious in the 40's.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hat-tip Carmi and I will try to drop by with a comment at your place as soon as I can.
No, ML, I do my email first, and then start the work. In that area I am a free spirit.
well, i was on the east coast wishing i were in berkeley during the 60s. the scenes in which i involved myself were similar. i was political on campus, participated in sit-ins against the viet-nam war, had hair flowing down my back to the top of my butt, strung and wore "love beads" with everything i put on my body, enjoyed a bit of mary jane but nothing else. it was an amazing time in political and social history and is a period of some of my fondest memories. my life today is nothing like that except my political leanings are always to the left. i married a man who has lived a pretty conservative life, who has never participated in anything similar but who is politically liberal.
ReplyDeleteabout the need to work for the reward....no part of me has that "disease" as i would call it! :) i enjoy the moment which does not often include chores for me. if we have an urgent task then the work is certainly more disciplined, but washing windows and cleaning screens would not speak to any urgency for me. in fact, i would probably hire it out.
i don't have a need "to be busy." i have an aunt who is always engaged in something. i wonder sometimes if she is avoiding thinking about something since she occupies her every moment with some kind of activity. my life is very laid back. i play bridge and canasta, surf the computer, putter about in the gardens, shop for garden art or interesting pottery or some other such treasure i get into my head, watch the birds building nests, chat on the phone, nap, read, etc. i enjoy being quiet and still and observing nature. perhaps i sound lazy and perhaps i am, but i worked hard for so many years and had schedules to keep and housework to do in addition to that. now we hire out much of the housework, let schedules go excpet for keeping appts., etc. we both enjoy our gardening, and i enjoy my days without expectation. the rewards for me are daily, and the work is much more rare!
I thought I was the only one. I was a Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, and elevator music fan. I looked at Hippies as scum, and was very judgemental! I was raised in the Military and worked for the Military, and dated Sailors, all who went to Viet Nam. I then married into the military and had nothing to do with the fringe society!
ReplyDeleteGOD!! I Missed a lot!!! I never even saw Pot until 1995 when my son-in-law pulled it out from under the sofa and rolled a joint. (He is my age!) I was aghast, and left...THey laughed.
I loved the 60s. They didn't care for me too much ...
ReplyDeleteI remember the 60s ... mostly fondly ... sometimes with a heavy sense of dread.
Good for you keeping your head above the clouds (of smoke!)
I was born in '55 and almost made it to Woodstock ... but only because my parents were pretty lenient by the time they got around to me.
I think if I had made it there (I was two people over in a carload that was going) ... I would have milled through the crowds, mouth agape and jotting down many thoughts for futuristic writing endeavors (like blogging) :)