Write it Out: When life is good, why drop out?

Instead of protesting, dropping out, getting high, I spent the late 1960s dating for nearly two years and getting to know well the man I married in 1967. During that time we also got to know and love each other’s families. We were both 20 years old when we married. My parents thought we were too young, but we knew what we were doing.

We moved in together after the honeymoon. We practiced reliable birth control. We were still in college, and we both went on to graduate. We moved to another state so my husband could accept a good job offer. I also found a good job after my graduation. We put all of my earnings into savings as we had been living on my husband’s salary alone and figured we could continue to do so.

I taught myself how to cook. We visited various churches, trying to figure out which we wanted to join, as we had very different backgrounds. (This took until the mid-1970s to resolve.)

In 1969 we got pregnant on purpose. All of these things proved to be good decisions in the long run, as we are still together after raising five children and are about to celebrate our 46th anniversary.

I don’t feel we missed out on anything from that time. We had lots of fun along the way doing things that didn’t have negative consequences. I actively supported causes I believe in – positive action rather than just opposing a negative. I had no desire to drop out of a good life. No desire to escape reality.

Contrary to the opinions of many who were not alive then, not everyone was wild during the 1960s. Probably more were like us than not!