I was at the gym nursing the tendonitis in my right elbow, trying to lift one leg and the alternate arm in the air while I lay on my back when “Somebody to Love” by the Jefferson Airplane came on the stereo system. I was catapulted back in time to 1967 in San Francisco wearing a tunic designed to be a shirt as if it were a dress. Marijuana smoke was everywhere in Haight Ashbury where my then boy friend was spending the summer. I was there for a brief visit before heading back to college. Everyone was young. Everyone was lithe.
I remarked on the time to my workout partner when my trainer quipped, “that’s the old people’s radio station playing.” Agh. My worst nightmares had come to pass. I clearly remember hearing music from the 1940’s in the grocery store and fearing that by the time I was “old” my music would be played in the nursing home. Having it play at the gym, surrounded by “Silver Sneakers”(people over 65) members was just as startling. Here I was remembering the precise way I moved through San Francisco humming that song and yet here I was trying to just get one leg and one arm into the air at the same time.
I actually don’t miss being 20. I was what my grandchildren would call “a hot mess” at the time, consumed with love problems. But I do wish sometimes that I could take my wisdom and experience back to that 20 year old body if only for a day. I certainly wouldn’t take it for granted!
Saved By Words 
Those were the days, I love the 60’s too until now. Those were the times when great singers and song writers abound, right. I don’t like their kind of music now, too loud for my ears. Have a blessed 2019 Elizabeth 🙂
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Plus a lot of it is very vulgar.
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Had to chuckle when I read this. I’ve been there! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I wouldn’t mind having my 21-year-old body back, but only if I could keep my 60-something mind and the wisdom that can only come with life experience.
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If only.
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Thank you for the blog. Saw it and shared with T.
Privately I put on the golden oldies on serius radio Saturday mornings when others are not around.
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Way to go.
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Great blog! I enjoyed this immensely! I feel like this quite often…and I’m just turning 57, which I don’t feel like at ALL. I have such fond memories of the late 70’s and 80’s – as well as some blank spots in there – it’s fun to reminisce and remember what the world used to be. Perhaps if we were more woke back then we could have prevented some of what we are now faced with today. Again, great blog! Thanks! ~ MB
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Thanks so much. I think I feel about 30 inside always no matter how old I have become.
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Oh I understand Elizabeth, how I would love to take this aged & matured wisdom & life experience back to my young self! Like opening a vintage cheese! 😀
Jennifer
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My younger self would probably ignore me!
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I hadn’t thought of that possibility!
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I’m in the last year of my 20s! What wisdom do you have for me? 👀
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Avoid married men!
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Noted. I’ll start with my husband 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
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Sometimes I try to imagine Death Metal playing in nursing homes. It’s not a pretty sight.
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Agh. I better “age in place.”
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In 1967, 40’s music was a maximum of 27 years old. Today, that song by The Jefferson Airplane is probably 51 years old! Yet, there are plenty of young people just discovering it.
You were in a very transitional place at a pivotal time. I can only imagine some of your memories from Haight Ashbury that year!
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My best was seeing Janis Joplin at the Fillmore West. Good point about how old the music was. I hadn’t thought of that.
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Love it! I don’t miss being young – I was also a ‘hot mess’ – but I feel as if I’m now 30- or 40-something instead of nearing 60!!! It doesn’t seem possible to be almost a decade into my second half century… but I’m definitely a far, far happier person.
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I am always glad to hear from you or read about you runs around the countryside.
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