Thursday, November 20, 2008

A view from the time machine.

The more I drive the Magic Bus, the more I feel like I have been transported back in time.

So lets look at 1970 for a moment. Nixon was President and the Federal Debt was just over $380 billion. Inflation was at 6.5% with unemployment 3.5%. You paid $0.36 a gallon for gas and $1.15 for a gallon of milk. Venus by The Shocking Blue topped the Billboard Top Ten and Patton took home three Academy Awards.
America loved watching Marcus Welby M.D. and The Flip Wilson Show. Baltimore would see an incredible Superbowl and World Series win. Whites in the South storm a bus to prevent integration. The National Guard opens fire on protesting students at Kent State University killing four. The stock market sees a record day rise of 32.04. This is also the year that we morn the loss of Janis Joplin.

Different times. Not the best in our worlds history but somehow better, simpler.

As I look through the windshield of this time machine of mine Green-Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf plays on the oldies station and I long for simpler times.


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3 comments:

Tom said...

Technology. It is supposed to make our lives better. Been without the tv for 6 months. I have actually had withdrawals! There are times I feel like sitting in front of it and vegging! But I do notice that the evenings are quieter and I talk w/ my spouse more! And if anything catastrophic happens, I hear about from everyone!

Scotty said...

Great bus. I have recently purchased a 1970 Westy and I just love it. In your post about the two kinds of people, I have noticed a third type; It's the late teen, early twenty somethings that just can resist flipping you the peace sign. Lots of fun.
I started a kind of journal about the work I have been doing on the bus. I havent spent enough time driving it around to discover it's name yet. I am sure it will share the rest of it's secrets in the spring when I complete it's revival:
http://thevwbusblog.blogspot.com/

Michael Taylor said...

I like to think of my '76 Westfalia as a little bit of a time machine too.