Ode to ‘69
It was the summer of 1965 when this adventure began; most were still regaling in the conquest of grade school and basking in the glory of reaching the pinnacle of our respective totem poles. It wasn’t until late August that we began to realize that we were about to enter an entirely new realm filled with a great amount of uncertainty. Some of us were anxious, others terrified, but none were ambivalent. We did not, nor could we have known, that the door we were about to enter would, in four short years, be blown from its hinges as we began to experience the real emergence of the ‘boomer’ generation. As we began our high school years, the ‘boomer’ waves were merely lapping the shore. By the time 1969 rolled around, the surf was pounding the shores and our country was about to experience an era of profound change. Little did any of us realize the assassination of JFK in 1963 would merely be a precursor to the equally traumatic losses of Bobby Kennedy (6/5/68) and Martin Luther King (4/4/68). High School is a time of assimilation and collection of individual experiences which constitute part of our entrance exam for adulthood. Forged into this timeframe are the shared experiences of our classmates and the common joys, fears and triumphs which we all shared. We retain these remembrances fondly, with surprising detail that rarely fades. Science cannot really explain this phenomenon, but undoubtedly it’s related to the combination of highly intense events, coupled with the emotional and physical changes encountered during this time period, which sear these events into our collective memory banks. The years 1965-1969 encompassed changes which swept across the country’s landscape without much noticeable warning.
A retrospective examination clearly demonstrates that the music of the time was a major component of this change. The "British Invasion” was in full swing with new bands appearing overnight. No era before, or since, has produced more memorable or endearing music. The Vietnam War reached its zenith in December of 1968 and inductees were being drafted at the highest levels of the war. Open dissension to the war had begun but would not reach the pinnacle of descent until the early ‘70s. Clear generational differences became deep-rooted and the very fabric of the country was being stretched if not yet torn. Overlaying this setting were two remarkable yet seemingly polar-opposite events. The first was the Apollo 11 mission with Neil Armstrong landing on the moon (7/20/69), and later that same summer a more earthly event which proved to be equally dramatic – "WOODSTOCK” (8/15/69). Without much fanfare or advertising, this ‘happening’ at a small farm in upstate New York forever changed the social fabric of the ‘boomer’ generation. No one can really define or characterize that exact change. We just know it did.
So here we are 40 years later – all older and, hopefully, wiser, with experiences to share, stories to tell and acquaintances to renew. Gatherings of this nature are not for everyone, this we know; but for those attending, we are able to share without pretense, the life experiences of those with which we have an intractable common bond and who were early contributors to our future paths. Enjoy and remember – 1969 Reunion committee
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