Sex, Drugs and Rock N' Roll

There was a term used in the 1970's that said, Sex, Drugs and Rock N' Roll. Been there, done that and even wore the Pin!

I mention this because many of my stories seem to include one or the other! For this, I'm sorry....well not really sorry, Its just that I come off sounding like I was a hell raiser with no regard for law and order. This was not the case at all. I was raised to be polite and follow the law. In fact, the adult that I have become is quite conservative. But when the days were Psychedelic, as I like to call the 70s....I was young... and Sex , Drugs and Rock N' Roll was the norm. It didn't seem wrong to partake in an occasional attitude adjustment. It WAS illegal but current attitudes to Marijuana are finally becoming closer to our attitude about pot back in the 1970s. Sex was always dangerous with STDs and more importantly, getting a girl pregnant. I wanted none of these but the roulette wheel was spun many times. As a father, I worried about my kids so I'm sure I caused a bit of worry to my parents. For that I'm sorry.

Then there was Rock N' Roll!!!! It was my life. I was either playing it, or reading Rock magazines about it. It was the one thing I did that I did pretty good. As you read my TALES OF THE ORANGE ROOM, try not to judge me too harshly!!!!! I came out the other end of the tunnel a better person for it. I did OK. AND.....I have stories that must be told! Here's another...

For the record, I never was one to really keep much weed on me. I didn't associate with those who sold it. I was too chicken. Plus I really didn't have a lot of money to buy it. However, I had a lot of friends and it was plentiful.

One night, after a gig out of town, we pulled up to my parents house where we practiced and where I would soon fall asleep. The Orange Room was my final destination after many such nights. On this particular night, It appeared that everyone in the house was asleep. Our drummer had acquired some good smoke and wanted to share a bit with me. Who was I to turn him down? We sat in the drummers car in the drive way wedged alongside my Dad's cars.

We had JUST enjoyed a couple puffs and were commenting on the quality When.... ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! (siren sound) there came the heart stopping sound of a police siren getting closer and closer!!!! with in seconds, it was right on top of us!!!! Suddenly, CRAP!!!! the police car was directly behind us, lights flashing!!!! This is it we thought! BUT... the cops ran right beside the car we were in. We sunk low in the seat. He was heading to the front door! What the heck? Just then, another ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! pulled up in front of the house! It was ANOTHER cop car and behind it...A FIRETRUCK!!!!!! Lights and sirens blazing!!! We sunk LOWER in the front seat...not to be seen by the firemen running right past our car!!! Next, more lights and sirens.....a pick up with flashing lights and an ambulance parked right behind us!!!! We sunk as low as we could go. We were almost in the front seat floor when the gurney was wheeled out and pushed right beside our car on the way up to the front porch of my parents house!!!

Damn, that was either the best weed we had ever smoked, or this was some kind of joke!!! Our heads peeked over the steering wheel as we saw a small kid being pushed out of our house on the gurney and transported to the ambulance and on to the hospital. Who was that? I thought to myself. We stayed low while we experienced the mellow high of the pot inside the car. After what seemed, like hours, one by one, each emergency vehicle pulled away and disappeared down the street into the darkness. It was quite once again.

We stayed in the car surrounded by sweet smoke until enough time had elapsed. I bid farewell and made my way into the front door and down the hall to my Orange Room.

The next morning I was let in on what had happened. A friend of one of my brothers was spending the night and had a reaction to our cat causing him trouble breathing. It was long known that the neighbors were certain that someone had overdosed in our home. Lol.

Sorry neighbors...not today! I fell back to sleep in my Orange Room. There would be more tales to tell another day!

My Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll Pin. The band I played in High School and several of the Rock Magazines I devoured as a kid.