Question for the wise but young at heart

Maybe there is no defined counter culture because we also lack a defined mainstream culture, how can you have something that is counter-cultural if there isn't a well defined mainstream culture?

again the idea is freedom,exceptance and love.the only reason it looks like there was only one way is because thats what the media showed.by the time woodstock happened the hippie was dead and in its place were the want to be's.

Originally Posted by wonderbread8

I'm 65 and Canadian (from Toronto). I had a lot of American friends passing through or dodging the draft (I guess, I didn't often ask). I was a folkie (Dylan fan) and late on the hip electric scene - not till like 1968. Toronto had a mini-Haight scene called Yorkville and a huge apartment-type building for alternative studies called Rochdale College which rapidly became a 16 floor party and commune living experiment. I had a room there in 1970. By this time, dope-dealing heavies and bikers were a major presence and it was scary sometimes just coming home at night, not knowing what would be happening. Drugs were really strong. One time there was a party in the building and somebody handed out 600 hits of acid (there were about 1200 people living there).
One thing I learned was there's always a hierarchy and the aggressive ones rise to the top, take over the scene. I liked to bliss out, toke with peaceful people, cook and talk stuff together, so I was disappointed at times and often frightened - and I suspect I would have felt so even early in SF in 65-67, if I'd gone there.
I went to the Atlantic City rock festival a week before Woodstock and missed that one (the only one among my friends). But there was a feeling things were peaking. All the big music names were everywhere at once, you couldn't take it all in.
But, for sure there were very nice times, nice people. And no political correctness thing telling you how to talk, what to get into - lot of mystical stuff and really not much interest in politics.
I miss the times. It helped me and hurt me. It's still the key reference point of time in my life, I guess.

Mannn that sounds awesome! i wish i was living in your time.

Originally Posted by wonderbread8

I'm 65 and Canadian (from Toronto). I had a lot of American friends passing through or dodging the draft (I guess, I didn't often ask). I was a folkie (Dylan fan) and late on the hip electric scene - not till like 1968. Toronto had a mini-Haight scene called Yorkville and a huge apartment-type building for alternative studies called Rochdale College which rapidly became a 16 floor party and commune living experiment. I had a room there in 1970. By this time, dope-dealing heavies and bikers were a major presence and it was scary sometimes just coming home at night, not knowing what would be happening. Drugs were really strong. One time there was a party in the building and somebody handed out 600 hits of acid (there were about 1200 people living there).
One thing I learned was there's always a hierarchy and the aggressive ones rise to the top, take over the scene. I liked to bliss out, toke with peaceful people, cook and talk stuff together, so I was disappointed at times and often frightened - and I suspect I would have felt so even early in SF in 65-67, if I'd gone there.
I went to the Atlantic City rock festival a week before Woodstock and missed that one (the only one among my friends). But there was a feeling things were peaking. All the big music names were everywhere at once, you couldn't take it all in.
But, for sure there were very nice times, nice people. And no political correctness thing telling you how to talk, what to get into - lot of mystical stuff and really not much interest in politics.
I miss the times. It helped me and hurt me. It's still the key reference point of time in my life, I guess.

Just to say, I also started out in Yorkville and lived in Rochdale College for a time. You are right in what you say, the times were both heady and exciting and thrilling, and also at times a bit scary. At the time I thought it would go on forever, but I was only young then. I do miss the times as well, but for me, these days are also good with a thriving alternative scene. I'm just glad I was born when I was and that I've lived through these times, warts and all.

Originally Posted by wonderbread8

I'm 65 and Canadian (from Toronto). I had a lot of American friends passing through or dodging the draft (I guess, I didn't often ask). I was a folkie (Dylan fan) and late on the hip electric scene - not till like 1968. Toronto had a mini-Haight scene called Yorkville and a huge apartment-type building for alternative studies called Rochdale College which rapidly became a 16 floor party and commune living experiment. I had a room there in 1970. By this time, dope-dealing heavies and bikers were a major presence and it was scary sometimes just coming home at night, not knowing what would be happening. Drugs were really strong. One time there was a party in the building and somebody handed out 600 hits of acid (there were about 1200 people living there).
One thing I learned was there's always a hierarchy and the aggressive ones rise to the top, take over the scene. I liked to bliss out, toke with peaceful people, cook and talk stuff together, so I was disappointed at times and often frightened - and I suspect I would have felt so even early in SF in 65-67, if I'd gone there.
I went to the Atlantic City rock festival a week before Woodstock and missed that one (the only one among my friends). But there was a feeling things were peaking. All the big music names were everywhere at once, you couldn't take it all in.
But, for sure there were very nice times, nice people. And no political correctness thing telling you how to talk, what to get into - lot of mystical stuff and really not much interest in politics.
I miss the times. It helped me and hurt me. It's still the key reference point of time in my life, I guess.

Well said-It helped me and it hurt me-I heard of Rochdale-we had our own university based scene center-read cop free zone-at MUN in St John's.-and yes, its the key reference point in my life-

if you stop and look back at the times, we came from parents that wore suits to work, had crew cuts, believed everything they were told was fact (on current issues), some of our parents were just what we would call "rednecks". it was when you didnt go to a movie without wearing a suit, attend an event again, the suit. it was a time when a man thought of his neighbor, not necessarily his neighbors wife. life had very little social interaction that wasnt in a formal setting.

then, we were dressed that way, made to wear those god awfull crew cuts, strait leg levis rolled up cuffs, wingtip shoes or "thread needles" as they were called, and deep inside i (we?) despised all of that, as a thing called rock and roll was about to come to stay. we discovered the elders scorned elvis, and that fueled a fire in a potential rebel to be.

then came the british invasion, (thank god) cause the beetles drove the elders crazy with hate, as did other of the british invasion.

then came, elephant bells, they were called. giant bell bottom jeans, technology was starting to progress in form of tv coverage of people like us, calling us anything you can think up, but all negative.
that lit a fire inside my my gut, and i decided no more suit n ties, strait leg pants, crew cuts. it was now long hair, a different wardrobe, the introduction of "party favors".

my vocabulary isnt large enough to describe how well that set within my home, just imagine horrible with an exponent of 10.

but this was larger than could be controlled as time has illustrated.

heres the hard to describe part, im not sure we had any idea we were making history, we didnt intend to really, but we also had opinions of the times and we werent going to be silenced because it wasnt popular to say something.

as for today, you may find what you seek, and i sincerely hope you do, but this is a good point to revert back to should you find a need...we did all discover that a living had to made, so we made some minor adjustments and entered the work force, i hated to conform to certain things (tell me how to wear my hair is my biggest bitch of all) the times have changed, but i inside havent.

the world can change around me, but i wont change no more.
(semi-retired), ill tell someone to kiss my ass in a second when conditions are set i disagree with, provided it concerns me.