Hippie Thoughts

When I was 16 my father drove two of my friends who were visiting from Colorado and me to San Francisco.

We made stops at the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiardelli Square, and China Town.

We ate at an awesome steakhouse where historical pictures of old San Francisco adorned the walls.

I remember very little of any of that. What has embedded itself into my memories in minute detail is our drive through Haight-Ashbury and the Golden Gate Park.

The Haight was alive with energy, color and street musicians. Women were wearing gypsy skirts, bright peasant blouses, obviously bra-free! Shocking in the mid-60's. Many men sported tie-dyed shirts.

A debate raged in our car about some of the clothing. We girls thought some of the guys were dressed like Robin Hood; my dad insisted they more closely resembled Peter Pan!

One young guy in tights and long tunic with fringe down the sleeves passed very close to the car on the driver's side! He reached into his rainbow satchel and sprinkled glitter on our car, yelling "Love Dust! Make Love, Not War!"

We giggled in the backseat. Dad told us to roll up the windows!

The streets were full of chaos, people headed in every direction. A big part of me wanted to jump out of the car and join them; another part of me was relieved that I was sitting in the middle of the back seat!

The Haight was in it's full glory.  Young people tired of wars, tired of  bigotry and exploitation gathered from all over the world. Drug dealers and pimps inundated the district, taking advantage of the naive and innocent; using the passive philosophy against itself.  For years it became a place to avoid at all cost. To go in was to take the chance of disappearing, sometimes forever!

We have an expression, "I got stoned and I missed it!"

I often wonder, if the passionate activists had stayed "on task"; had kept focused on the message, what kind of world would we live in today?