What The 70s were to me? When I looked back and think hard, I don’t know whether to be excited, proud, or depressed.
When 95% of my friends, peers, and same-agers were pursuing a normal life that included college or a Trade that they would commit to, and become enslaved to for the next 40 years. That’s one way of looking at it.
I tried, but I couldn’t do it.
Maybe it was because I had such a disdain for the system after watching my father do the same thing every day of his life or most of it. I really didn’t give it much thought. I just let go. Once I started traveling, it didn’t make much sense to stop, as mentioned, I tried a few times, but it wouldn’t last long.
It wasn’t until Lin and I had the children in the ’80s. It was then I realized I didn’t have a choice anymore. When I knew I was responsible for putting food in their mouths and shelter over their heads and a good environment for them to grow in. I realized I had to commit my focus and energy to something that will enable them to grow up in a comfortable home.
I wouldn’t give up without a fight, even though I didn’t have any institutionally taught skills after the 70s I did everything I could learn by reading books, having Conversations with successful people, and staying true to the dream that enabled me to end up where I did.
One thing I knew was that I had to have a farm to raise my children on. That wasn’t a choice – it was a necessity. So I did whatever I could to make sure that they had a farm to grow up on. Honestly, it wasn’t really all that hard. Maybe I’m just lucky or maybe I just had the will that it took to wish it to come to fruition. Na… Above all it was my relentless will and physical strength to work my ass off 14 hours a day, Lin by my side, and the grace of God that got us a 64-acre farm in Bucks County.!
Me and Lin grew older and the kids grew up on a farm. They learned the meaning of what it was to take care of animals that they loved, horses they wanted to ride and be connected to. Animals like hogs, sheep, chickens, turkys and cattle that they would need to help sustain, and feed, and harvest for the family unit.
Life on the farm as a family was the only way we would or could live!
The 70s was a very wild time for me but truly it was that way, that time the whole decade. I saw an amazing amount of creative adventures, places, and people. There were many hard life encounters and people who did bad things to me. I never let myself become a victim. I always forgave and did not carry hate.
I’ve had my share of stupid. And as my Irish mother would say “Stop acting like a horse’s ass”.
Like the first time I hitched to California and I took my buddies empty Marlboro, red box cigarette packs for example. I used my parent’s Laredo cigarette rolling machine to roll joints. I would grind up the pot real fine, and I would make cigarettes that were made from marijuana very neatly packed 20 per pack so that I would have them while I travel.
“That was a really smart way to do something really stupid.”
Back in the 70s if you got caught with pot you go to jail. Not like it is now. I remember in the 80s when I was working on my journal I wrote a little story that an old man – me was telling his grandson about the day when pot illegal and tobacco was legal. Interesting because that’s essentially what’s happening now 40 years later.
“The times they are a changing” Bob Dylan
John Anthony Franklin © 2023
