Is This the Road We’re On?

I was born in 1963, but I grew up in the 70s. For the majority of this decade, I lived in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, California. Those of us who were born during this time are inbetweeners; not post WWII Boomers, or Reagan’s Gen-Xers. We are the forgotten ones, but not in the historical sense. We are simply nameless; belonging to a decade sandwiched between the strong post-war economy (white picket fence, a dog, Mom stays home while dad provides) and the “Shining City on a Hill”. In a way, this gave us some flexibility when it came to how we shaped our identities later in life, but for me, I will always proudly claim myself, a child of the 70s. 

In the 70s, society loosened its grip on the taboo of divorce. It was the first real era of single mom’s and latch-key kids. And as teenagers, we were set free to find our own glorious path. We took our drugs early, before we’d been told to “Just Say No,” before the “trickle down” dwindling of the working middle-class family, and the “helicopter” yuppie parents. Our decade marked the end of the two-parent, one income household. 

It was the era of classic rock, before it was “classic,” and the all day, outdoor stadium shows: Elton John, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Rush and Heart. Prog-rock pushed the boundaries: Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Jazz fusion was frenetic and hard driving: Return to Forever, Jeff Beck, Mahavishnu Orchestra. It was the age of the quaalude, the Thai-stick, Columbian Gold, and cocaine. Disco danced its way up onto the same silver screens where Star Wars were fought. We took our dates to The Charthouse and Gladstone’s in Malibu, or to Westwood for a dinner at Alice’s Restaurant, and a movie at the Village Westwood Theatre. We wore Members Only jackets and Jordache jeans. We drank Lancer’s, or Blue Nun when we were trying to impress our dates, and Southern Comfort at our backyard kegger parties, while listening to Nucleus, Northridge’s best, local, cover-our-favorite-tunes party band. If you remember Nucleus, we were in the same place and time. Cheers!

The 70s were also a turbulent time; and by the close of our decade, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison were gone. Vietnam was brought to a close, and Watergate obliterated our faith in government at the highest level. Iran took hostages and serial killers roamed our streets, along with skateboarders and VW Bugs. The cold war was rising to its climax and nuclear bomb technology gave us nuclear power; touted as the new solution to all our energy needs. Never mind the waste; it was the decade of waste! Send it into outer space, drop it in the middle of the ocean, throw it out your car window. In the end, it became the decade of lost hope. Punks emerged, taking the stage to protest their place at the end of this “pivot of change” decade; with its inflation and economic upheaval. And then John Lennon was assassinated and Ronald Reagan was elected president, closing the door on the 70s for good.

I was just doing my best to make it through my dysfunctional up-bringing. I navigated my future, a homeless teen, couch surfing and living by the good graces of my best friends. I was also having the time of my life. For me, the 70s never died. They are frequently on my mind, on my turn-table, and on my television. Living with all these memories, is my childhood. 

I recently attended my 40 year high school reunion: the class of 1980. It was held at Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys, California. For anyone who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, especially during the 70s, I highly recommend a visit to this museum. It’s owned by my friend Tommy Gelinas, and it’s filled with a “vast collection of artifacts pertaining to the San Fernando Valley.” I hope this blog will be similar, filled with my own artifacts, memories of growing up in the San Fernando Valley, of good friends, and crazy times. Names will all be changed to protect the…well…just to protect…there were no innocents. 

Material on this site will be separated into two sections: the Blog, for general topics and reflections; and the Memoir, for stories specifically about my childhood. Blog topics will range from current events, to ponderings about life, to commentary on brilliance and stupidity (mostly my own). The Memoir will be chronological for the most part, offered in vignettes, and covering two decades primarily: the 60s, and 70s.