Episode #805
July 6, 2024
Since the sixties,
when driving on PCH near Big Sur,
I have looked for the tie dyed shirt stands.
Not long ago I stopped at one of those stands. There was a hippie man and woman. They were quick with a smile and had stories to tell. They were eager to listen to my stories too. They were in no hurry and neither was I. Their calm, pleasant attitude was uniquely human.
The woman rummaged through her entire inventory looking for a shirt she thinks would be perfect for me. It was.
I flash back to 1968 on the corner of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco, CA. On the sidewalk of the corner are two hippie men and a dog. The hippies are dressed in tie dye and paisley. Both wear head bands and multicolored sunglasses. The dog has the stereotypical bandana around his neck. One of the hippies is passing out a flier with directions to the Grateful Dead’s house. The purple victorian house is right down the street at 710 Ashbury Street.
On the Haight Ashbury corner is a T-shirt shop. When I walk into the shop I am hit with the smell of strawberry incense, silk screen ink and new cotton fabric. The tie dyed shirts are piled on shelves, floor to ceiling.
I flash forward 22 years to 1990. I am walking down Waller Street from Golden Gate Park. When I arrive at Ashbury I see the Dead house, unchanged in its purple vibrance. Turning left on Ashbury, I walk the block to Haight Street. There, on the corner is the same T-shirt shop. On the sidewalk sit the same hippies and their dog. They have not aged a day. They are dressed the same. Their dog is wearing the same bandana. One of the hippies is handing out a flier for the Grateful Dead concert at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. I feel as if I am walking through a time warp.
Inside Haight Ashbury T-Shirts I rummage through the tie dye and find a long sleeve t-shirt in a Grateful Dead theme.
I am a new skydiver and am amazed to see skydiving and parachuting dancing bears on the shirt. They are jumping from a bi-plane trailing a banner which says “Let there be songs to fill the air.” An iconic Grateful Dead sun graphic observes, looking a little like Jerry Garcia.
“If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music?
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It’s a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they’re better left unsung
I don’t know, don’t really care
Let there be songs to fill the air”
— from “Ripple” by the Grateful Dead
That shirt is still available online from Liquid Blue in short sleeves. I have bought several over the years to wear on skydiving days at the drop zone.
I still wear tie dye. When you look in Paula and my closet, the left half is pink and the right side is tie dyed.
The bright colors and swirling motion remind me of my youth. Wearing the shirts keep me young.
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Love this!!!! Ditto!!
If you click on the picture of the skydiving dancing bears shirt it links to Liquid Blue where you can buy one.
Here is a link to a video about modern tie dye. The featured artist is above and beyond commercial tie dye. https://www.cbs.com/shows/video/grvKy21iOlnF37MK6EB7lNvqDh55hwYs/
Ironically, I just finished a very disturbing mystery called 2000 Steps…It’s about a missing girl in Laguna Beach during the height of the LSD era,…The Brotherhood of the Eternal Love. This details the debauchery of the free love movement (many wearing tie die) .Timothy Leary…etc. They truly believed that the “Orange Sunshine” would elevate mental awareness, break down walls, build a healthier society. But, like in the book, The Brotherhood of Eternal Love promoted sex trafficking. So many people died of overdoses. One of my school parents’ sons died when he jumped out of the window because he thought he could fly. I arrived in Costa Mesa in 1969.. I was befuddled by all the drug insanity. So, it’s hard for me to appreciate the beauty of the tie dies…however, love the skydiving bears and the message.
I saw the Dead in New York’s Madison Square Garden in the mid eighties, maybe 1986 or 87 (can’t remember exactly what year). They were there for several days, the tickets were very affordable and I went twice. I wore a tie dye jumpsuit that I bought just for the occasion. It was magical! Great memories!!!
I also saw the Dead in Long Beach (can’t remember the year). But I do remember a live version of Stella Blue. On stage, they had a wall of percussion that blew my mind.