But this is a revolution that takes us back to the way things used to be… so I am calling it:
Retrolution!!!
For years, those of us that were born in the 60’s and came of age in the 70’s have been victims of cruel teasing. Young people laughed at the clothes, the music, and so much else that went on in those days. Well you know what? The last laugh is on all of you.
You made fun of bell-bottom jeans, and they have come back into style more than once. You need to remember, when looking at history, that most of it is portrayed by the media, either the news organizations or the TV networks. These organizations are made up of people who observe what is happening in society and then try to make money off it.
Real life in those days wasn’t the way they show it to you now. It wasn’t the Brady Bunch, and it wasn’t the Monkees. It also wasn’t just the protests and Vietnam war. It was real life and it was awesome.
Yes, there was some bad music and worse fashions. But it was the era that gave you the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, the Who, and so many songs that still stand up today. They fought the sexual revolution when I was too young to join the battle… but I was just the right age to enjoy the victory party.
Yes, I am the first to admit that there was a corniness, a hokeyness to it all. Peace love and flowers, sharing and caring. It is all a little trite and laughable. But have you improved on that since then? Was gangster rap with its message of violence and lack of respect towards women a better thing? Or was it all just a way for you to rebel?
You know what? Rebellion takes thought. It isn’t blindly doing things to piss your parents off. You have to think about where the world will end up if your revolution succeeds.
So maybe we didn’t change the world too much in the long run. But we added some color to it, and left a few positive signs behind us.
Go ahead… make fun of our tie dye and peace signs. Because when you have kids of your own, you might just stop and consider that when they get to be old enough to rebel against you, you would rather have them going to a concert where the message is all about love and peace.
So join my retrolution. Trust me, there will still be plenty of ways to piss your parents off.
Pouring My Art Out 
Where would everyone be now without the innovations made by our generation? Birth control! Equality for women! Great music! Distrust of big government! Freedom – to dress how you want, act how you want, work how you want!
yeah… birth control…
I was born in the year of Bill and Ted (’69, dudes). So I was a kid all the way through the seventies and didn’t really come into my own until the eighties. Still, my favorite song is and will always be “You’re the Inspiration” which, when I used to ask for it on the radio, was labelled an “oldie.” Of course, I never listened to the radio until I was fifteen or so. So, you could say I’m a bit behind the times.
I could say that
Could you? We’re quite the pair, then.
I think so too
Sadly, we revolutionaries forgot so much of what we wanted.
I forget whole chunks of the 70’s…
That’s the drugs. You should have behaved.
I just wasn’t built for behavin’
I love the eras where people actually loved themselves. Today they seem to only be pretending to love themselves so they dont know how to love anyone else… Peace and Love more of that please and thank you!
Thank you. I think maybe we sort of started the trend of being more selfish than self-loving during the 80’s… I hate the 80’s…
funny I’m an eighties baby, and I remember little to nothing of it…maybe that’s why my generation is so selfish and have taught their children to be selfish as well
I was generalizing a little… and we probably started that trend.
Ahh. Gotcha.
You have a flare for this
Was that a flared jeans joke???
Of course!
Then that was awesome!
Aw shucks….
you……..
Me………
yeah… you…
Dude, what is this thing you call “seventies”? Is it like “typewriter” (Matticus reference) or “Beatles” (que?). But in either case, peace and love work for me, so I’m in. But I’m a kid of the 80’s so I have to warn you that I wear my Reagan on the outside. I don’t know what that means. It sounds a bit dirty. Ugh.
It is a bit dirty…
I’m okay with that, as you know.
HA
AH
oh
Every new generation uses the past as a catalog to order from.
I like the thin mints…
I do too.
We got boxes full of boxes full of them.
Ever listen to Bill Hicks?
The comedian? Yes.
When I mention his name to younger folks, they have to Google him. I feel old when that happens. I’m only 46. Weird.
But he took away our moral high ground by torturing… he lied to get us into a stupid war… he shot his friend in the face hunting drunk and the guy ended up apologizing to him!! It wasn’t even that long ago… sigh…
Indeed.
I had a lot of deep-seated anger about that guy, and Photoshop helped me let it out.
Bill Hicks or Cheney? (grin)
HA!
I’m solidly of Generation X. We were born rebellious, as if our ensuing lives didn’t give us plenty to be angsty about. Some of us (not me, actually, but others I know) drew disillusioned with the burnout of the Boomers– as yippies gave way to yuppies. And we’re getting shafted pretty hard in the workplace (which I dropped out of due to health problems), passed over between the Boomers and the Milennials– so we’ve got plenty to still be pissed off about. We’re called “slackers”, “punks”. We have been mocked and shamed, too.
For all the yang energy you have described, there was still the yin. Yes, we brood a little too much over that yin energy. But it still existed. The Boomers still have to answer for it.
(Lest you think I’m all doom and gloom, Art, no, I’m not always so negative, I’m just saying: the era was NOT without its fallout. Those of us hit– actually, no, we’re not laughing, we’re just… crying inside a bit, trying to cover it with a little aggro and rage.)
Growing up is always a struggle…
OK, I was born just before the 60’s but I still think of the 60’s as my era. I don’t remember anything of the era before that. The term “reality” is so poorly defined now thanks to “reality TV” that I think this latest generation is going to need a real reality check.
Too busy texting… they will never see it.
Agreed. What a horrible message. Peace and love. The Grateful Dead. what kinda name is that? (I lost track of how many times I saw them in concert–I know, surprising isn’t it?) It is hard to believe the 60’s and 70’s were a simpler time. They were. I am happy to be a product of those times.
It didn’t seem simple then, did it?
Growing up is tough. Period. I guess it doesn’t really matter when it is done.
No… but some times were better than others.
it just seems that way. maybe. I was happy with it. I had a happy childhood. I love the Beatles. Tie dye is cool. so are boot cut levis. It is hard to imagine growing up in the depression era being cool, but I bet those that did have a couple fond memories as well.
The older you get the cooler the past looks…
I think the past has a lot to offer. Memories kind of make us. Regarding the era, I recently came to realize my grandmother basicly raised her 4 children alone (I think) Her husband was dead long before I was born. Anyway, I recall hearing stories about how she would treat the family on occasion. She’d buy a 5 cent milky way or snickers bar and cut it into 5 pieces to share. (That was back when candy bars were 5 cents and HUGE!) A fond memory for my mom.
That is so sweet.
I was born in the 70’s and got off age in the 90’s. That’s when it all came back. And I love bell bottom jeans, by the way! (Maybe we were less shrill in the choice of colours, though…)
Also, I totally agree: if you want to start a revolution you may first check in and think of where it leads should it succeed. Apart from that revolution always seems to need a counterpart to fight against – which is why I never called myself a revolutionary. I’m more the “celebrate oneness in diversity” type. 😉
– Wait! Do you think that could be included in your “retrolution”?!
I think anything that gets people to stop trying to be other people and be themselves would be an awesome revolution.
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of L.A. and we had a blast as teenagers. I don’t think we were rebelling, we were out of the most fun we could get and yes, it pissed off my parents!
I think a new revolution would involve lots of typing on cell phones…
I don’t know that teen revolutionaries think about it in terms of changing the world.
That’s only seen after the fact. In the moment, they just want to live the way they want to live.
I know they aren’t going to listen to me anyway, so I shot for the moon