Hair - history revisited

Last night I took a walk down memory lane.  I saw a production of the rock musical Hair.  The performance values were great.  The voices were great.  And the flood of memories is great.

The 1960's were a turbulent time in the history of America.  Those are the years of my youth into adulthood.  Eisenhower was the first president I have a memory of.  He seemed to me a nice grandfatherly person.  He and Mamie felt safe.  There was a cold war going on - the Russians were our enemies.  But Ike and Mamie kept us safe.  From there we floated into a brief period of optimism - Kennedy was elected and all the world seemed bright and rosy and possible.

With shocking swiftness that ended with Kennedy's assassination, swiftly followed by Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King.  Viet Nam heated up and became nightly news.  Kent State happened.  America was breaking apart.  Just like now.

My dad died 29 years and 3 days ago.  I really miss him.  He lives on through me and my family, but his real physical presence is what I miss.  He was the wise touch stone in my life. I hear him talking to me still, but I long for new words for the new places I’ve traveled since we parted.

I walk these paths for both of us.