for days now, there's a song that's stuck in my head: if you're going to san francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. i need to have it expelled.
i was still a child during the 1960's so i don't remember much what the fashion was then. i do remember though that across from where we lived at the time, there was a rooming house where a pretty woman was staying and people didn't like her because she works as 'hostess' in a club. during the day she would place a large colourful towel on the grass in front of the rooming house and would soak in the sun, wearing a loose sleeved top that's almost similar to a sari. i remember plucking some bougainvilla clusters from the hedges that served as a fence, and she asked me to give her some and she'd put them on her hair. my mother didn't like that the lady was nice to me and she always told me not to talk to her. one day she didn't get up from her spot on the lawn and there was blood around her, and next thing we knew the ambulance came and got her. we never saw her again.
my mother said she was a hippie, hanging out with bad people, which was to be expected considering her 'profession'. she smoked and took pills and drank booze. and the blood was due to her losing her baby deliberately. the womenfolks hated it when she would be talking to the menfolks who gather on sundays to drink. they'd offer her a beer or two and she'd obliged. then she would be really friendly with the men and their wives would be calling them to ask them to do some kind of errands just to keep them away from her.
for the five plus two's "retro" theme this week.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah..(another song) I remember the 60's too, though they say if you do you were not there! We got the beat in my town but not sure what happened to the sex or drugs.
I grew up in the 60's as well. I remember some things, other things not so much. We lived on a very generic street in the suburbs. It wasn't until I started babysitting that I was exposed to some of the sadder things which took place. One young mom two doors down from us used me a lot. Her husband had run off with another woman leaving her with two youngsters and she had to go back to work. Sometimes her home life conflicted with the job and I would babysit them after school, feed them dinner and put them to bed. I always felt so bad for them. They didn't understand why "daddy didn't love them anymore".
So she didn't die, just had a miscarriage. I was thinking she was murdered (by a jealous wife or something). Wow, what a memory. A great story you painted. Love the colorful shot of you and the funkadelic processing. Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. Love SF. Never wore flowers in my hair there, though. Mike and I honeymooned there and we lived relatively close (2 hours away) when we lived in Sacramento. I've been there quite a lot and sing the song when I think of it.
When i title a photo after a song, I find myself singing it all week. Gotta pick good songs, I guess.:)
What a powerful image and an even more powerful memory to share here! I love this site all the more when the journaling begins! You've done a magnificent job!
Such a story. Makes me wonder what became of her. I'm sorry I missed this photo earlier, just getting caught up (again). Great retro shot and processing. I was a teen in the 60s, graduated from high school in '67.
June 9th, 2014
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When i title a photo after a song, I find myself singing it all week. Gotta pick good songs, I guess.:)