I'm still on a
Magic Carpet Ride
We were wrong about those capitalist "pigs"
Now I am one! (And liking it) By Bill Aggie ( Bill Agreste)
We had Teenie Boppers, Pushers, Narc's, Holy Rollers, Hippies and Freaks (I was a Freak see below), These were the colorful people that made up my world back in the late 60's and 70's. It was the most memorable time of my life. I will never forget those flower children, the feeling in the heart, and the unity we had. In a strange way, we were the wildest people on earth yet the most tender and the most honest. We were the generation that changed the world and made odd a normality. We loved mother earth and we were open to everything new. It was an unusual time and one I will never forget! We were the generation of love and unity. We didn't fight those that harmed us, we did something more powerful... we forgave them!
Short on money but rich in heart and expression. We wanted to change everything but money was then as it is now, the route to change few of us had any money. We called our money "bread" and I believe we called it that because we never had enough money to buy anything else but bread. We called the females "Chicks" but not if you hooked up with her. Once you were steady, she became the "old lady" and we were the "old man". Now look at us. We've gone full circle! Now she really is an "old lady" but we want her to be a "chick". Life is sometimes very strange in how things turn around on you.
We rarely were surprised, but we did get 'Freaked Out" a lot! Freaked Out is a term we could use for just about anything. If it scared us - we were "freaked out", or if it confused us, troubled us, tickled us, or surprised us, yep.. Freaking Out Man!
Since everything FREAKED US OUT, we had a scale system to communicate how FREAKED OUT we were. If you ran into an old friend, you'd be FREAKED OUT. If you ran into an old friend and he cut cheese in front of you, you would be TOTALLY FREAKED OUT, MAN! If you caught your best friend banging you mom, you'd be TOTALLY TOTALLY FREAKED OUT. The more severe the situation, you might have to add the "f" word in there as in "I'm totally totally F@@@ing freaked out" and this would be about as high as you could get on the freaked out scale.
We were also fascinated by "far out". It was a "far out" time back then. Things that we liked were "far out", things that impressed us were "far out". A lot of things would be far out even now. I remember one time when I imagined how I would be as an old man. Wow, That freaked me out but after thinking deeper about it, It became "wow.. far out" Me as an old dude! Now I'm 50+ and telling stories of how it was back then. This is about as far out as I've ever been and let me tell you..... I'm totally freaked out, MAN! Send me back to the 70's please. If I don't ever see another bottle of Rogaine again, I'll be one happy hippie!
You were a Freak, a Hippie, or Square. I was a Freak, and Proud of it! But just so I don't scare away any customers, A freak was a term of endearment for those that had the walk but not the dance. I was a hippie in every way but not quite "far out" enough to be a true hippie. But I did have the Age of Aquarius and the free soul fever running through my veins. Jesus was my God, Freedom was my right, and Rock and Roll was my Voice. I was a long haired Freak, I had hair down the mid of my back, I was finely tanned and could pass as a surfer beach boy (handy with the tourist chicks). I lived in a basement room on 22nd and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach Virginia. We called it a "pad" and my pad was too cool for a boy to call home. My ceiling was an orange and white US Navy parachute with colored lights tacked up behind it. I had psychedelic walls and ultra violet lighting that would explode the room into a trip all on it's own. I Wish I had some pictures of my pad. it was a "mind blower". It was more than just a "pad". it was freedom and it was mine. Oh, it was a "chick" magnet also. A guy couldn't ask for any more.
We were the generation to bring us to where were are now. Look around, you are living in a world that we decorated. Like it or hate it, we are the ones that shaped it. Thank god those that dropped out came back, or where would we be now? Those hated capitalist pigs fortunately gave us much needed jobs. And those new medical discoveries that kept your cousin and my uncle with us. Thank god we didn't break the establishment we hated.. or we would all be living under a tree somewhere. But we carried some great freedoms forward with us. We redefined "freedom of speech" and freedom of expression and tolerance. Oh, and how about those bra burning ladies? This reminds me of Sally Fuierrello (Don't worry Sally, I misspelled your name for heaven's sake!) . Wow, what a woman.. Ummm I mean "chick"
Sally was was 100% pure natural woman, She was a cross between Sophia Loren and Anne Margaret, but better... Why? Well because she wore a halter top, of course! .... as did most of the chicks. The best thing about a halter top, they can be removed and twirled above the head. and Sally was one of the best! You needed only a bonfire and good music. Maybe a toke for the toke takers... but all this combined into a top twirling breast jiggling experience at just about any gathering. Bare Breasted Chicks were the mascot of our time. Just look at photos from any rock festival, twirlers a aplenty!
Well I can't bring back those days, But here are a few of the images that are all so familiar to my hippie brothers and sisters. I wonder how many of them are still around and just might find this old Freak capitalist pig! Hey, if you were among the flower children residing (hanging out) in the 70's in good ol'e Virginia Beach Virginia oceanfront,... Let me hear from you! Peace Brother!