Today there is no longer the hope there was then. There is more fear than anything else for mankind of whether we are going to survive Global Warming as a human race. In fact, I would liken these times to the 1930s with Global Warming taking the place of the Great Depression and World War II. And the next 10 or 20 years likely will claim many more lives than both those decades did worldwide.
But, the 1960s were a Golden Age of Hope (but also of terrible fear and terror because of Nuclear Annihilation and the Viet Nam War, the Assassination of JFK, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King and everyone else including John Lennon.
So, what was so very unusual about the 1960s historically was the unlimited hope (fear exists in every generation). But, there was something about the hope that our generation (the Baby Boomers) born during and after World War II that was very amazing and special.
As a child growing up through the 1950s I basically found the 1950s so boring I wanted to kill myself. However, I wasn't alone in this.
But, starting with the Cuban Missile Crisis life was at least interesting and something was happening. The problem with the 1950s is many men from World War II were dying in all sorts of ways like alcoholism and crashing cars and suicides. But, I didn't see a lot of this it was sort of hidden from me as a child. I'm sure most adults were sort of horrified by what we called then "Battle Fatigue" which we now call PTSD which takes many lives and makes many men dysfunctional for life.
But, every war down through history did the same thing. So, war destroyed all the men who fought in those wars one way or another. Very few actually survived actually being in combat right up close watching heads and arms and legs go every which direction from swords or hand grenades or machine guns or artillery.
So, the 1960s were very special in this sense of having HOpe in addition to fear because the U.S. was just incredibly wealthy then. We had jobs for everyone. For example, jobs that people in their 30s fight over now I could get even at age 15 so I ALWAYS had money for cars, movies, bicycles, motorcycles, travel. Always.
So, the best thing that happened to me personally was likely being classified 4F which meant unless the U.S. was attacked I would never be drafted (I had childhood blunt trauma epilepsy from age 10 to 15). At the time I felt kind of guilty about this. Because all my other friends had to get student deferments for going to college (any college) instead. Otherwise they were hauled off to Viet Nam against their wills or they had to run to Canada for the duration of the Viet Nam war.
So, this incredible hope we had as White Men in the 1960s was tempered by the potential of being killed in Viet Nam or worse walking down the streets talking to ourselves the rest of our lives and living in a cardboard box when we returned from Viet Nam.
So, if you graduated with even a C average from a public high school in say Southern or Northern California and you were a white male, you had the world by the tail in every way then. You really had to make some really bad choices or get drafted and go to Viet Nam to really screw up your life.
However, many many died in racing cars on the streets, racing motorcycles on the streets. Drinking and driving and or drugs and driving etc.
But, if you graduated high School in California. And even if you didn't you could go to a Junior college for two years, then finish your junior or senior year at a 4 year college and you were on your way to success.
However, many just started businesses with a little help right out of high school and were a success then anyway.
So, what I'm saying is these times from 1960 (until 1973 Arab Oil Embargo) were golden if you were a white male in California. You almost had to try to fail and not have a job or not have a great life then.
As long as you weren't drafted and killed or came back and walked the streets the rest of your life with PTSD.
Today we worry less about nuking the whole world and everyone dying suddenly at once like then.
Today we worry more about terrorists and ecological degradation and thousands dying in a single earthquake or weather event and the sneaking suspicion that it soon will be millions dying in a single earthquake or weather event in the near or far future.
However, when I was going through all this I had nothing to compare it to. People then said, "My God you are lucky to be young now. We didn't have anything, not even food during the 1930s!"
However, when you are young like I said you have nothing to compare it to so you don't necessarily believe people when they say these things to you.
However, after studying history as well as living all the decades since then I realize I came of age in an actual Golden Age. I had a great education, all kinds of opportunities, and so it makes me feel sorry for the kids of today who are experiencing something more like the 1930s and 1940s once again.
However, life moves in cycles and you never know what's going to happen next. Do you?
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