I remember being 17
 

I remember being seventeen. We said, "drugs are good," and we meant it, and we were so very cool, and that was so long ago; long before any of our friends had died tragically. I was a romantic; a child of the Renaissance; I could recite poetry, and even write some, and I knew love was forever, and that was before alcoholism had claimed my high school sweetheart before she ever saw her mid forties.

I believed in truth, and even dared believe I knew what it was, and knew our generation was going to be the one that really mattered, and made this world better. I don't know what that was before. I talked to my mother the other day, and she told me how horrible this world has gotten, with all the pain, and suffering and violence.

"People are all just shooting and killing each other," she said, sadly, and I had to remind her of that little thing that happened during her teens that everyone nostalgically looks back on as World War II, when maybe 55 million people were killed violently; many of them civilians, including women and children, and how Jews were systematically rounded up and either worked to death, starved to death, tortured or experimented upon. Man, those sure do sound like the days.

I remember being seventeen, and feeling rejected, and so down and horrible that I didn't know if I could stand to live another day, but that was long before the day when I couldn't imagine not wanting to live, and being grateful I even get one more day at all.

It's easy to remember things, like when music was always good, and there was no "Get the Knack," or Captain and Tennile or even Tony Orlando and Dawn; just sweet, perfect music on every radio station, twenty four/seven, and angels came down and made us tuna sandwiches with mayonnaise and onions on rye.

I remember living in this perfect and yet terrible world; a world created by God, or nature, or whatever you wish to believe in, and inherited by Man, and left to rot like a dying carcass in the sun, and how that world somehow seemed to manage to cling to life day after day, year after year, decade after decade, on and on, until you run out of words to describe it.

I remember a lot of things, and sometimes, I remember what my point is, or was, and that is a very good day; a very good day indeed.

When ya do, please do tell. :)

Enjoyed reading that, and share a lot of the experience and feelings. I've seen alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes destroy more lives and kill more peole than I could have ever imagined when I was 17. I miss FM radio in the 70s. And I realize that as bad as I sometimes think things are today, the idea of the good ol days is a delusion. Age makes us a bit smarter and more aware, but many things have gotten better over time. I'm incredibly happy to walk into a smokeless restaurant, I'm glad kids at the school I work aren't beating on each other any more because of the color of their skin, and I'm happy we're currently not in any major war. Lots more I'm happy about. It's tough sometimes though to keep my focus on that.

My point here I think is the same as yours. Yet to be figured out. :)

I remember when I was 17. I wanked off a lot.

For me 17 was 13 years ago... shite, time does fly by. I just remember being bullied, abused and hating life. Thankfully, that has changed a great deal during the last 13 years.

P.S. Nope, I am not superstitious and therefore too many 13's in my life right now don't creep me out (being it is 2013).

There was never a time when music was all good. Perhaps there was a time when the radio played what you like, but that also means the radio was playing something that many, many other people didn't like at all.

11 years for me. Fun times. First bass was around and looking good. License and a car and rock radio was waaaayyy better then. I would say 16 and the summer of '01 was even better. All of the above but pre 9/11. It was a different mindset. It was kinda strange how that summer was a coming of age type time for me and friends and how it all changed just after.

When I was 17 I was HIiiiiiiiigggggghhhhh......

Uh...... What were we talkin about?

I remember being 17.

We all drank, drugged and partied.

Strangely enough not a single one of the people I hung out with dies because of it, and all of them have gone on to lead productive happy lives.

Good for you. Not everyone is so lucky.

I remember being 5

What a go-get-er.

I remember when I thought I was "deep".

If you remember being 17, you did it wrong...


A bit more serious, when I was seventeen I remember making a new friend through a car accident, then losing her just a couple months later to another.

Also an insanely strong strain of herb that came from a a grower up north that would only sell to my buddy who would then share with us. Once he stopped growing it, it was gone forever and I've never tasted a bud quite as awesome as that one since. To this day I still refer to that summer as the Summer of the Orange Crush.

17 was only two years ago for me, but nothing has been as good since then. I graduated high school, saw Rush for the first time, and optimism was running high. Now I'm out of school, working six days a week, can't find a band, and my interpersonal relationships are crumbling. Oh well.

I remember "Get the Knack," it was huge the summer I turned fourteen. A perfect slab of power pop - I loved it then, and I still love it now.

That's part of the college experience. Don't worry, it gets better :)

Start a solo project if you can't find a band.

17 was 30 years ago for me.

I was a shy introverted kid.... Never was a partyer. Had probably gotten drunk once, and that was specifically to rebel from my goody goody image. Yeah. I kind of had to plan it! THAT'S how boring I was! And to this day, I typically get bored at partys... unless we're playing poker. But then i get tick cause I lose to much!

Lost a few friends to drink and drugs. Some died. Some just blew out their mind and don't function the same way they used to. Most have become mothers and fathers and have grown out of that phase... Mostly.

Even though my job situation is much less than idea, I've built a pretty cool and happy life, and part of that happiness is centered around the fun I have being a bass player and musician. I just wish I had more money to be able to buy more stuff! Oh well.

Rock on.

Ya sometimes I wonder if I were really missing out on being a 'boring' person.

I just wish I had the option of travel being I work so much

Let's see, 1971. I was still pretty much a jock. Didn't play bass, didn't party; that came later. I wish I could have back all the brain cells I threw away, or the friends that drank too much and died behind the wheel. Yes, those were fun times, but I wish I knew then like I know right now. Would'a done a few things differently.