What was it like to be in the 60s?

It's true, Anastasia, that in the late `60's and early `70's it was so much easier to find free concerts, "happenings," Love-Ins, Be-Ins, and places just to hang. For me it was the Sunset Strip and Venice Beach, in the Los Angeles area. It was also much less "corporate" and the idea of "product placement" or calling a concert by the name of some product, as it's done now, would seem as absurd as thinking Janis Joplin was waving around that bottle of Southern Comfort because she was paid to promote it.... no, she just DUG the stuff! So that's what is meant by when you hear it described as a more innocent time.

I'm not saying everyone's motivations were 100% pure, but back then it was much more about making a change than making money. Back then so many great bands played clubs on the Strip for free, or for little money, just to throw a party. And I mean GREAT bands!

You also say that you "don't understand why the hippie movement has decreased so dramatically since the sixties" but I don't think it has. It's just not on the radar of "Big Media" anymore. It always amazes me when people say "what happened to all the Hippies?" as if since they are not on the Nightly News, they must have all sold out. (Believe me, we have NOT!)

One thing to remember, at least in the USA, because of the post WWII Baby Boom, there were actually more people UNDER 25 than OVER 25 at one point back then. Just try to get your head around that!!! As The Doors lyric goes, "They've got the guns but we've got the numbers." We were a real threat to the status quo, and garnered a huge amount of attention, because of the sheer numbers in the youth movement. But we were just all struggling to find our way, because we knew that the world of the 50's, with it's conformity and intimidation of creative types, was not the world we wanted to live in any more.

Look at the HUAC hearings in Congress in the 50's, with people being forced to name names and take "loyalty oaths" or be thrown in jail. The `60's were, in part, a reaction to that repressive world the Boomers were born into. (The film "Far From Heaven" is a fair depiction of the stiffling comformity of that time.) But the 60's was also a reaction to the Vietnam War. In fact, if there was a draft right now, forcing more people to go to Iraq and kill people, college campuses would be having even more protests that they do now, and there would be lots more resistance to the war, not only by draft-age kids, but by their parents, who didn't raise their children to be sent home in body bags. The draft is a scary thing.

The other scary part about that time was that it was all new to the "straights" and they thought they could stop the movement with force. Kent State was scary, and so were the riots in the streets of Chicago. Even on the local level, the "jocks" in High School felt perfectly justified harassing the longhairs. I go to Venice Beach now and I see lots of young hippie kids, and they have full standing, just as any other group in this American melting pot. It's a lot safer to be a hippie now, because you can just live your life. If you're living in a part of the country where you're still hassled for being a bit freaky, then you need to start packing.

By the way, the 50's were the last time both houses of Congress, plus the White House were all controlled by Republicans... until now, that is! Yes, after 50 years, they once again control it all. So for someone who's seen this before, it looks like the bad old days are here again, and now they want to control the Supreme Court and spill fresh, bigoted ink all over the Constitution as well! You want the 60's again? It may be closer than you think! Everything swings like a pendulum, you know?

Finally, the movement, now as it was back then, flourished in different strengths at different times and in different places. Some waves of 60's didn't hit places outside of NYC, LA, and SF until years later.

I don't know what it was like growing up in the South or Mid-West in the 60's because I was in L.A. and that was one of the centers of action. But I think it's better NOW, because part of the movement was a "back to nature" movement, and over the years, certain small towns have become magnets for hippies, writers, artists, musicians, and we have become a force in how those places are governed. No, we may never have the numbers to flip the whole country, but you CAN find places to be a hippie and live a simple life, full of innocence and wonder, and you can "have the numbers" too, if you congregate in places that have become these magnets over the years. That's the way to have free concerts in the park, by having a hippie majority town council mandate them!
Whee! ;o)

For any young people who are longing for the groovy 60's again, you're probably just living in the wrong part of the country right now, and you need to seek out your kindred spirits. Small towns are great, and they can border vast wilderness areas, so you're much more surrounded by nature than commercialism.

One of my favorite examples of a dead town's rebirth into freakdom is Bisbee Arizona, which was totally abandoned in the 70's because it was a copper mining town, and the mine closed down, so the place almost turned into a ghost town. But then, some hippies who were looking to leave the cities, moved into those mining cabins and fixed them up. Then came the writers and artists, who always need cheap digs to live in, and let their art flourish. And then in time the cool shops and galleries start popping up next to the "beat" cafes and head shops. Eventually, after a few decades, the place sometimes gets "played out," becoming a bit too "trendy" and expensive. So then the process starts all over again, for a new generation. But the original hippies are now the town "elders" and can take pride in what they've accomplished over the years. Bisbee is still a totally cool place, and I love taking roadtrips there, but housing is not dirt cheap anymore. So even though you can't expect to find some perfect hippie haven, already up and running, and still expect that you can live cheap there, because at that point too many other people want to live there, too. But you can create one and make it home, maybe for your whole life. But you'll still need a van to go to those big festivals. ;o)

Right now, there are some small towns on the skids, just waiting to be energized by the fresh dreams of a new generation. And it's so much easier to "network" and find what you need, and get others to join you, now that we have the Internet. Hell, if we had that back in the 60's maybe we COULD have flipped the whole country!

Peace,
Mojave Joe

 

Children today in general are close to their parents. There was some real hatred between generations in the 60s. I was near the Kent State shootings in 1970 and some of the older people were out on the streets with signs that applauded the deaths of the students. The older generation was referring to young people as thugs and communists, and some of the young weren't all that crazy about older people either. Today there's nothing equivalent to that type of animosity between generations. The young today are generally conformist to society and happy about their lot in life.

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Who can sing "duck and cover" and who remembers the "music video" in blacK and white and only watchin the indian head on the new rage TV. You probably have said all this before in here, but I just found you.Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm safe. To the original post..here is some stuff... a Hippy, when the name was coined, had just left high school where you could not have hair over their ears in school. They had matches in europe making fun of us. A hand shake was a contract, 'party' was a noun not a verb and we had draft cards not numbers. But God bless us we're alive, the world changed and we went to the moon. I'll calm down. I just found you guys and Im going to amsterdam in a week to be young again...so buzzzzzzzzzz.later. peace.

 

What movies? What part of the Sixties? Which way is the right way? Who is "they"? What do "they" say?

I'm happy to answer any questions about my experiences, but I need to understand what the question is.

Keep in mind I didn't become "Experienced" unitl around May 1969, so I missed some stuff.

 

Very well said! Thanks Mohave Joe! "Wish you were here."

 

how can we make that time come round sooner?

 

all we need to do is get together people, im willing to travel.

 

its great to hear first-hand recounts of how it was back then, although if you're a "hippie" at heart, whatever your age ..you'd know what it was all about

if the choice be mine, i wouldda wanted to live the 60s - and it aint just about the drugs and free love. the hippies rebelled, resisted the forces for the power ..of choice, thought and what they truly believed in

today, the "establishment" is winnin ..their strategies they worked on after the experience with the hippies is an instant hit. WE, the people have lost it - what we see is what we're shown (oh yea, the media is the sight and sound of the establishment, IS the establishment if you check who they belong to)

when we see another human, we're not seein them for who they are - without the "hey man, hows it goin", we judge'em. we talk, debate our differences rather than celebratin our similarities.

friendships with an asian, arab, muslim et al have all become fashion statements (as was with blacks). love - does it really exist in the purest form ?

politicians are walkin all over us, our neighbours, our planet - and we let'em, we elect'em, approve of their actions. we're after blood, more blood - more wars ! we have handed over our powers to these forces, and continue to do so.

power of thought ..is it really ours today ?

 

Fuzzy, You and I are still here and it sounds like you are not defeated. Your quest of learning the present ways is pure, these hipettes are real hip and helpful. We did a lot, however, I also feel not enough...but maybe its these guys all our crap was for. We grew up with an imminent threat of global nuclear war at home and gettin shot up in Asia, as idiots were teachin us "duck and cover" (with a smile and a cartoon), as if that would of done any good. It srewed with your head if you remember it. The thread poster starter here asked the same question you want to ask... but different (isnt that a quote from Cheech and Chongs "Up in smoke"), and has 3 pages.Try your quest again. Like I said I am tough but not as tough as the class of 65. If you younger Hipsters have not seen "Up in smoke".....do it, and laugh. Peace is more than absence of war. Stoney..they aint won yet....its your time now....and real love does exist. I do not think it...I know it. Sorry for the longish post. Peace on you.

 

it was a tumultous time, but an exciting time. We were all so niave, and we believe we were going to change the world for the better. In some ways we did. In many ways we failed. I'm still niave enough to think that love can change the world, maybe just one person at a time.

My kids seem much more "hippie" than I. They are radical free thinkers, certianly not carbon copies of me and the old man. We always have a lively debate when we all get together because we each feel equally passionate about our individual pet philosophies, and causes.

I've no doubt that this generation will change the world, if we can just get past the instant gratification, 'one with the most toys wins' mentality.

Love really can cover a mulitude of sins, and it starts with you.

 

i read all the stories in this topic, they have all strong feelings behind it one made me almost cry (just of a sort of hapyness). i love to read those stories, they make me feel like.. i don't really know.. but i want to change things that are in this world now, and sometimes those post motivate me more to actualy do something.
i don't know if there is allready a thread about comming together and try togethere to do something? can anyone give me the link if it is so, cause else it's maybe a nice id to start one about it.
i love to read more stories about how it was in the sixties!

 

my english is not very good, but i think this is a compliment.. so thanks!

 

for me it was a time of great hope that things could and would be changed.
i was disilusioned. good friends were killed in Viet Nam i felt the soldiers got a bad deal it was the ones in control who should have been spit on not the grunts. they were the same as me just unfortunate enough to be drafted.
now here we are some 35 years later and we have lost more rights.
the supreme court says that you cant use a herb that God created to relieve sickness.
whats that all about dont they know where quinine comes from?
i wish there were a place to go where you could really be yourself without having the Man interveneing with your life. no urine test to get a job. complete freedom.
no the '60s werent all its cracked up to be.

 

yeah why are there others who make rules for us, kinda strange isn't it?

 

In he 60's and early 70's, the San Francisco California area sure changed in a good way! But What happened, it's now a Very expensive area to live in! it's also so commercialized.

So I moved to anouther state where lif is so much slower.
Peace

 

The front lines of freedom are forming in West Virginia right now check out the Rainbow Family Forurm, we need everybodies help who can come or send donations. 1st amendment rights are on the line, if you want to experience hippie freedom come to the gathering, All kinds of 60s hippies will be there.

 

oh god! you've got chills runing my spine! i cant' wait till the old hippies rise again and we can join them in the fight against the machine. i would love to be able to sit down with some more experienced hippies and just talk about olde ways and the government today and back in the sixties. just to think about sharing a conversation with a hippie older than myself but we would be equal. wow..................... man i just can't wait for that time to get here man i cant wait.

 

The time has already begun, just take a look:

http://www.peace-action.org/
http://www.peaceactioncleveland.org/index.html
http://truthout.org/
http://www.peace-out.com/
http://www.welcomehere.org/

 

awesome but i think that i may just be a runner. a draft dodger....... yadigg?

 

My town has quite a bit of hippie history behind it... though I wasn't around to live it...
I live in the town where Abbie Hoffman was born. My mom said that there used to be lots of free concerts at the local parks, and I'm pretty sure there were a few anti-war protests going on as well. My town is also where the smiley face was designed. I don't know much about what else went on in my town during the 60's, but it's always been a pretty liberal area.

I wasn't around t live any of that stuff, but even now there's opposition of the current war, the occasional protest to try to legalize marijuana, and an overall very diverse and accepting atmostphere... with a fewexceptions of course, but no matter where you go you're always going to encounter at least a few sexists/racists/homophobes/etc.