Counter-culture years.

I've been dwelling in the past lately, particularly with the memories of my late teens.  During those years, I was engulfed in the world of the free-spirited.  I had put myself in everything and anything indie, and simply followed the masses in their culture.  The most dramatic change was my taste in music.  From the mainstream hip-hop background during high school, it was completely replaced with rock, folk, and indie within a year.  My style of clothing naturally adapted to tighter fitting clothes, and layering was a necessity.  All the money that was made from my job was spent in spontaneous travels, shows, instruments, cds, and photography.  I was blinded with the fascination of the counter-culture era and gradually fell in love with the Beatles and Bob Dylan.  I attended protests against the war on terror in Los Angeles and started my consumption of the devil's lettuce.  I would often try to defy time and indulge myself with antiques such as a record player and a polaroid camera. The idea of a modern hippie was an intriguing thought, sadly to say.  It was an unstable lifestyle, and also an unrealistic one.

Although I do miss those years, it wasn't a practical direction.  Being "different" is a very independent and strong-willed thought, but it isn't so different if everyone is doing it.  That phase in my life was a blast, and most of the time memorable.  The things I pursue now compared to those years have drastically changed.  They were the years for experimenting. The results were fun, but it came with an expiration date.