Monday's Memories

Monday Monday, so good to me,

Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be

Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee

That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

How could I even think to start any sort of this week's, "Monday's Blog" of reflections, without that song chiming through my head. A time when life seemed so simple, the 60's. Life was changing all around us, but we still hadn't lost that innocence of imagination and where life would take us. Music was and has alway been an important part of my life; I was probably only about 8 years old when I received my first transistor radio, which had maybe 3 stations in the NY area (WNBC, WCBS, the oldies on 101.1). Once I turned on that radio, I was hooked.

In 1963, when Beatlemania was taking over the world, my best friend and I had to be the first ones to buy their just released 45. In 1965, like I said, our imaginations were what sustained us. The Dave Clark Five were appearing at a theater near here. So by going to our local newspaper as "reporter's" with our cousin Francie from California, (yes, she was from California) but by no means reporters. We next found ourselves being escorted along with the reporter from our newspaper who was covering the story, back stage at the RKO theater to interview the Dave Clark Five. Truthfully, when it was our time to interview them, we stood there totally dumbfounded! By 1967, as everyone was leaving for San Francisco "wearing flowers in the their hair", I saw my whole life changing. The sounds of San Francisco were filling our heads with fantasy's unimaginable. My life was filled with dreams of a new generation whose only goal was to bring peace during a time of war. I frequently hung out in the Westside of Greenwich Village, sitting many afternoon's in the tiny cafe's, where Dylan, Joan Baez, and John Sebastian played, and were fast being the spokesmen for so many of us. Yes, I was at the famous 1967 "Be-In" in Central Park, which originally was called Sheep's Meadow, is now known as "Strawberry Fields" in memory of John Lennon.

I would be remiss, and my children so disappointed, if I did not mention that while frequenting the Electric Circus in the East Village, I became friends with the Chamber's Brother's, whose song "Time" was just coming into being. We were immersed into a time of Peppermint Incense, flowers painted on our faces, bell-bottoms (and of course, no shoes) with slogans of Peace, Love and Happiness buried deep within us. I had a friend named Sunshine, who sang with "David Peele and the Lower East Side" one of whom I was going out with at the time. You had to be a true Village fan to know these musicians who sang in the Park. It wasn't long before all the Sunshine, Flowers', and Peace began to turn towards darkness. The war was escalating; songs were of protests; people becoming angry; Columbia Univeristy riots; bombings; SDS; and drugs; were becoming the norm in the Village. Love turned to hatred. Peace became violence. It changed the face of a lot of disillusioned teens like myself. My visits to the visits to Village were becoming less frequent, and the flower's began to wilt. So ends the memories, which still brings smile when I think back on those days when Peace and Love were a part of our generation.

6 Comments - Show Original Post
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roseworksjewelry said...
What an exciting time to have lived in! Thanks for sharing your story :)

September 22, 2008 11:50 AM


Dayna said...
Thanks for sharing those memories.

September 22, 2008 12:08 PM


maryeb said...
Great post!
And thanks for reminding me of that song. I loved the lyrics, still do.

September 22, 2008 12:50 PM


Lily - Tulip's Talking from the said...
So nice to be reminded of that era. I think many of us are trying to get back to the peace and love, of the old days...

Funny that you would remember that particular song today. I too used a line from the song in a blog I did earlier!

Peace,

~Lily....LOL...Peace Lily....Flower Power!!!

September 22, 2008 2:16 PM


agoodwitchtoo said...
What wonderful memories! I wish the Peace and Love movement would move in to stay... this time for good.

Thanks for sharing!

September 22, 2008 2:55 PM


BeadedTail said...
Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories!

September 22, 2008 7:11 PM