I'm collecting impressions for a book I'm working on and anyway I'm interested.... How did you feel in 1966-72, or thereabouts. I'm interested not only in people who were part of the counter-culture (whatever that means to you) in those years, but also those who were 'outside looking in' so to speak, and joined the counter-culture at that time, or even got into it later in life. So-- feelings? Was life a joy, or sad, or angry, or curious, or what? Not what you feel about it all now, but what you felt then.
Optimistic. It was a special moment in history and I knew it at the time (I think we all knew.) I had no doubt that the world needed changing and that we were the people to do it. I still think we were right about that, although it's now sometimes hard to remain optimistic.
Conflicted. What did you expect? I was a teenager. The anti-war/hippie/counterculture movement filled me with hope. The rest of the world filled me with dread.
Brilliant way to sum up your feelings, and probably those of many others--including my own. Many thanks for that.
I didnt think much of it to be honest but NOW THAT I LOOK BACK ON IT,it was much better than now!!!! QUALITY OF FOOD WAS BETTER,QUALITY OF TV PROGRAMMING WAS BETTER,ETC....... Music in the 70s was quite something,WHATEVER HAPPEND TO IT ALL??
I was reading a news article interview with the Doors keyboardist. He was asked about the Doors years: his response was interesting-he said that it was just his life at the time and that the world blew it up into something else-that is sort of how I am looking back at my teen years, '66-'72. It just so happened that I chose to hang with my university peer group that grew their hair, had a fairly liberal view on sex and liked weed and acid. I didn't choose that life out of any other purpose than "I just fell into it". and when it was over, it was over I am very glad I did though-I believe it gave me a perception on reality that has stayed with me, my entire life. Can I explain it, nope-I just know that one day every thing changed and I ended up with more sensory perceptions than the day before.
I was 6 - 12 years, living in a Black and White Britain that transformed into Colour as the optimism, aspiration and new freedom of youth moved to make a difference to a world where discrimination and class systems were rife. As time has passed society (in general) has defiantlyaltered for the better, however it seems that morals and ethics have not!! A climate of change, where IT has leapt forward for the ease of life, though maybe at the expense of people’s mental creative thought processes. Where innocence has been replaced with exhibitionism (maybe – it’s just me then?) PM me and there's more that I can go on about - should you so desire
