The 1970’s – as Roger recalls..

The 1970’s to which History points

Winter quarter of 1970 I had faced great failure – flunking or withdrawing from classes, working nights downtown at the Ohio BMV and being generally tired, as well as running out of money.

I had made the Ohio State University Marching Band in the fall, but no longer had time for the military band that performed for some basketball and hockey games and I had quit ROTC.

I was, by the two-year requirement of those days, still residing in a men’s dorm. We crossed campus several times daily for classes, concerts, buying books, eating elsewhere, studying at the library and practicing our instruments. But by Spring quarter everything seemed to fall apart at OSU caught up in Vietnam protests.

I tried my best to circumvent all of it, but tear gas knows no bounds.

President Johnson had used troops in the south and sent more to Vietnam. Most students I knew didn’t like him, but Nixon was an ardent McCarthyist, little better than Goldwater who wanted to blowup all the communists.

• the Nixon White House orders the elimination of student deferments and the first draft lottery, held in December 1969. Just like that, tens of thousands of college students are in danger of being drafted and shipped off to Vietnam, as soon as their current deferments expire.

Source: derfcity.blogspot.com- 4-15-2015

During the next election Watergate came along. Nixon famously said, “I’m not a crook,” and not even the Republicans believed him.

We had a couple of oil embargoes by wealthy Arab countries that caused long lines at my grandfather’s and other gas stations across the country.

We watched South Vietnam fall on TV in 1975.

In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, which would later prompt US to secretly send money to a radical guy fighting against the Russians named Osama bin Laden.

The 1970’s as I recall

Once more, with music. 

I could begin with that same emptiness and diminished worth that had stalked me back home

All the lonely people 
Where do they all come from? 
All the lonely people 
Where do they all belong? 

Part-time work turned into full-time jobs.

My former resolve to learn music finally frustrated my inescapable limited talent and no money left for school. (Never was smart enough for scholarships.) By the difficult winter of 1970, I changed my tune of the music I heard. Conducting dreams faded. And my ideals of college disappointed in so many ways.

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LOVE

So to begin there, sadly I must take the tragedy of my first love at college to my own grave as well.

Although some knew our story, even now I do not know the conclusion of her story, I cannot betray our timely affair.

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How beautiful and pleasant you are,
O loved one, with all your delights!

Song of Songs 7:6

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I would marry — and we would move out on our own (as young marrieds should). A new job — for her (though she continued hers). Then failure (as some jobs also become brief) — and another, an assembly line laborer just like practically everyone else.

NOT good enough! — and in a year, month and two days to Papa she returned. It was a self-inflicted shotgun wedding wound, but not fatal.

Lonely again — but not friendless. (Another treasured confidence I would never betray.)

The assemblyline job eventually shut down too. If I was to even have hope again — and food to eat.. I would have to go home again, too.

The 70’s of our Parents and Family

Moving back in with parents (at twenty-two) admits failure — defeat you do not want to follow you for long. Everybody in town knows it. (I wanted to date; but meddling moms complicate relationships of every kind.)

I got more work, other jobs, and eventually another apartment of my own.

With thanks to those who read this post when published, regrettably the conclusion of this 1970’s portion of Roger’s autobiography & additional decades published up to August 29 2025 CE are no longer available on TalkofJESUS.com

Who mattered most then?

Our Faith of these years past

What shall I do?

What will our Future bring?

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