Raising Drama: The Psychedelic 70s

Remember the 1970s? The strobe lights and lava lamps? Fluorescent posters with psychedelic patterns? Glow in the dark stars pasted on our bedroom ceilings? Bold yellow smiley faces and stingray bicycles? Bell bottoms and peasant blouses? Aviator sunglasses, electric typewriters, and cassette players? We were glued to the television set watching "All My Children," "Dark Shadows," "Mod Squad," "The Odd Couple," "All In The Family," "The Waltons," "Happy Days," "Kojak," The Rockford Files," "The Brady Bunch," "Eight is Enough," and "Little House on the Prairie." We had the first "black" sitcom, "Julia," soon to be followed by "Good Times," "What's Happening," and "The Jeffersons." Farrah Fawcett's poster was taped on every boy's bedroom wall, while the girls "mooned" over Donny Osmond, David Cassidy, and Leif Garrett and listened to songs on the radio by the Jackson Five, the Osmonds, Sonny and Cher, the Carpenters, B. J. Thomas, and Bread. The decade began with the end of the Beatles and the beginning of their individual careers. This was my era. This was the backdrop of my teenage years.

When I remember the 1970s, I remember my friends and "hanging out" in basements and bedrooms. Dreaming of our futures. Excited to have some independence and branching out to explore new experiences. Our tight-knit circle of friends, that came to overlap other tight-knit circles of friends, melding and stretching to accommodate the changes within each of us as the years went by and we all grew-up. First loves, first heartbreaks. Walking for miles to get to the bowling alley, Nunley's Amusement Park, and to the movies, where we saw "American Graffiti," "Animal House," "The Godfather," "Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Jaws," "Young Frankenstein," and "Live and Let Die."

Then came our first cars that took us "crusin'" on Sunrise Highway and racing against other cars on Ocean Parkway. Taking a drive to the Long Beach Boardwalk and its arcade and rickety old rides that we thought we'd surely die on. Outdoor movie theaters and what my friends and I called, "a' parkin' and a' sparkin." Ah, those teenage years!

During this decade the Vietnam War ended, Watergate happened and Richard Nixon resigned, Elvis died and we all cried, Bing Crosby passed away, Patty Hearst was kidnapped, and Son of Sam made us all afraid to sit in a parked car. Rock and roll moved over for Disco. We all did "The Hustle" and danced to the Village People's"YMCA." By the end of the decade we entered our twenties. Within a few years of its end, my friends started their careers, got married, and began families of their own.

Life changed.

Maybe we can't go back, but it sure was fun reminiscing with you. Hope you enjoyed it!