If you remember the '70's...

If you remember the '70's maybe you weren't really there. So much took place those early years.. So much happened and yet the pace seemed to move in slow motion..

My new friends, Hope and Jeff, moved with me to the blanket next to our spot of grass in Griffith Park.. We joined the friendly people who'd invited us to partake of their lunch; fried chicken and lemonade. They were 2 mixed couples, although I didn't think of them that way then.. Two blacks; a man and a woman, and two whites; another couple, man and woman... The black man introduced himself with an African name, but late shared that his given last name was Green, a named he called his slave name. This often was a way for blacks to reclaim their heritage and push off the Anglicized name they'd been born with...He had a mildly edgy air about him, but was overall friendly toward me. 
I wish I could remember all their names as they became my only friends in L.A. for the next few days.
The black woman worked at the Wilshire Theatre and promised she could get us all in the movies anytime we wanted to go. I don't remember much about the other couple.

After the lunch and conversation, my friends in the VW bus said they had to head north to their home in San Jose. We bid them goodbye after sharing phone numbers and addresses. They had both. I had none. They left for their car and were off. 

Someone from my new group of friends asked if I'd like to go to a play at UCLA with them that night... It was from a new playwright and was political in nature. I asked, "How much was the ticket."  They said $2. That was all I had to my name so I said "Yes."  We packed up things and headed to our cars. I followed them in my little blue '67 VW. This was a time when time and money didn't seem to matter. Not at the moment.
This was one of many moments of trust and friendship. This was the '70's. 

The play was in-the-round creating an intimate setting and intense experience. The young black star was the narrator and lead.. I don't remember any other actors in the play and wish I could remember his name. Many times during the play his eyes burned into mine. And I starred back just as intensely. I don't remember the makeup of the audience or the room we were in. But, I remember being drawn into the play. I participated as one often does in theatre-in-the-round.
And I will never forget at the end the actor walked over to me and reached out to me. He said he was drawn to me and welcomed my equal intensity during the play. I do wish I remembered who he was. 

After the play, I went home with the black woman and the next morning we all met again to walk over to the Wilshire.. As we passed some white men on the sidewalk I remember hearing grumblings and ridicule about the mixture of our group. They seemed angry at me for being with these black people. 

I don't think we ever saw a movie. I think my friend had to get her paycheck.. 
She had a small apartment that would not accommodate both us should I stay so she introduced me to her friend Cheryl. Cheryl was another beautiful black woman with full large curls of jet black hair. And we enjoyed a few days together before I decided to strike out to catch up with Jeff and Hope up in San Jose..I don't remember why that seemed the better plan. This was a time of little or no planning and giving in to whims.
I remember how surprised I was the first night with Cheryl when she took of the beautiful wig she was wearing. She had a tight short Afro underneath. She was naturally beautiful and sweet.

I don't know how I paid for the gas to drive the couple of hundred miles north to San Jose.. Or how I ate along the way.  I was headed out to another adventure and somehow, as seemed to happen, it all just came together..