EASY RIDER STOPPED IN IT'S TRACKS

I was married when I was 17.

I was co-partner in raising Bob's 5 yo son by a previous marriage.

I was pregnant myself, by the time my 18th birthday rolled around.

I was juggling marriage, a stepson, a pregnancy, and school ... as well as maintaining a household - with all that entailed.

I didn't have time to go to the movies: and even if I did, the big screen gave me vertigo. Even then.

I attempted to watch movies on TV; but juggling a marriage, a stepson, a pregnancy, school, and maintaining a household; kinda cut into that time.

I had caught bits and pieces of "Easy Rider" in between what needed to be done in real life: usually laundry needed to be done when TV decided to run "Easy Rider" ... so I never got past the commune scene with Karen Black.

EVER.

The ending of the movie was always a mystery to me.

Until about 10 years ago, when it came on TV late one evening while Bob was working.

I popped some popcorn and DETERMINED to see the darned thing THROUGH TO THE END.

I nearly choked on my popcorn.

And when Bob came home, I told him, "I finally saw the end of 'Easy Rider' - the whole movie is about drug smugglers!"

Bob burst out laughing.

He already knew that.

But, he also knew that I didn't know that because my life had been too busy to ever catch the end of the movie.

I never watched the movie again.

I come from a family with a drug involved background - and though, I, personally, NEVER supported my family in that regard - I was always stigmatized.

Bob knew I hated drugs: I don't use ANY drugs at all - not even prescribed drugs.

Bob knew I always watched that movie simply because Peter was in it.

And he knew, that because of the ending, that movie ... even with Peter as eye candy ... would never be watched in our home again.

Easy Rider would be permanently stopped in it’s tracks as far as I was concerned.

The counter-culture of the 1960's never appealed to me.

AND I WAS RAISED IN IT.