thugs with drugs in Conversation

Media paints the picture of the 60’s and 70’s a mixture of flower child and social dissention regarding the war in Nam. Although it was part of the experience there still was life to live. It was not all bellbottoms and weed infused marches at the universities. Haight-Ashbury had it’s romance but kids running around on mescaline and acid still had it’s downside. This, sadly, I can attest to all too well.

Wisdom, weed and wild eyed youth is not necessarily a good mix. The problem with hallucinogens is one has a distorted self image. Bullitt-proof from the inside out and worry merely a murmur echoed quietly in the back of ones mind. Besides the shameful and constant illegal use of controlled substances, there was a complete vacuum regarding the safety of self and others. I B&E’d numerous homes and cottages in area with my group of friends, We were so stupid we would actually stand at the side of roads in the winter throwing snowballs at cars hoping to nail the local sheriff so they would chase around the forest at night. The fact some of us had vehicles was a accident waiting to happen. property destruction and disregard for others was just an embarrassment to this day. I would sit in chem class stoned (it was after “study hall” ) and strangely perform quite well. Who knew LSD was a learning tool.

The lesson in all of this is two fold. One, anything can be romanticized. Two, anything can be overcome. I do not proudly tell this tale, but, without too much detail, one can see what a mess I and a few very close friends were. Beyond the miracle of not killing ourselves in a car or being shot in someone’s house (where I grew up if there wasn’t a gun in your home you must be a communist/ McCarthy era paranoia), there was just the self destructive haze of the decade that adults did nothing to curb. Today in such a state of being I would have been shipped out long ago. I was nothing but a thug just not an assaultive one. Flowerchild of “no harm should come to others” but lock up your goodies as they are fair game.

Thankfully, I sobered up, grew up and owned up. What is normal today seems insane to me. I find my learning curve is as proven of a path as Quantum Physics. It is invisible, immeasurable, but the math looks good.

Last updated December 30, 2015