I was 14 years old when “Easy Rider” came out. I decided to see it again this week. So glad I did, if only for the music!
Wikipedia describes it as a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers (played by Fonda and Hopper) who travel through the American Southwest and South after selling a large score of cocaine. The success of Easy Rider helped spark the New Hollywood era of film making during the early 1970s. The film was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1998, a landmark counterculture film and a “touchstone for a generation.” Easy Rider explores the societal landscape, issues, and tensions in the United States during the 1960s, such as the rise of the hippie movement, drug use, and communal lifestyle.
Although I know this film hasn’t changed in 48 years, watching it showed me how much I have changed, and most of my changes have taken place since moving to rural Colorado. For example, when the riders pick up a hippie on the way to a commune, they eventually ask him where he’s from. His answer is simple and so true: “A city.” When pressed for more he says it doesn’t really matter what city, because cities have the same effect on us as people. I so agree now. And if you don’t, I challenge you to move to the country for a few years. Then we’ll talk.
I have also learned a lot about my biases and judgments of people I don’t know. For some reason, moving here has lightened my load of judgments on those who don’t look like me. I know in ‘Easy Rider’ the country people in the south hate hippie-types. There’s a great line in there from George, the local drunk played wonderfully by Jack Nicholson, who tags along with them on their journey to New Orleans. He says many just don’t appreciate the freedom these two bikers represent. When they see it they want to kill it. Nice foreshadowing.
I even started my own dating service back in 2004 at age 49. I was tired of the Internet nonsense, and wanted to offer the singles in my small city of Loveland (Yes, Loveland!) Colorado an alternative. I spent hours with each client finding out what they were looking for before setting them up with a local single. The only problem was inventory! I attracted so many cool older single women and few cool men, so I set myself up on Match.com as bait to attractive more single men. I thank my lucky stars for that move today, because Mike was the first man I met this way!
I know, most blind dates are extremely stressful. I’ve experienced quite a few in my life. Have you had the pleasure of watching the new 
Mike and I made an amazing connection within minutes of meeting, and spent the next ten hours enjoying each others’ company. Sometimes life surprises you that way, but only if you are willing to take a few risks and have a few less than perfect dates with strangers. In case you have more interest in how I turned my conflicts with love into happily ever after at age 49, please consider reading my book: 
In contrast, Norway has recently discovered the popularity of slow television, or “slow TV” (
From daybreak…
to sunset, it changes constantly, and sometimes offers up the most amazing images! 
I’m new here in rural southern Colorado. After two years I decided to compile a short journal about the ups and downs of moving from a good-sized city to rural America to build a passive solar retirement home: 
According to this program, highly regulated experiences with the correct amount of LSD, psilcyben mushrooms, and other psychodelic drugs can alleviate the need for difficult withdrawal from drugs like nicotine and heroin, both of which have been proven to be equally as addictive. Who knew? Now here’s something the government didn’t want you to know! Go watch! It’s amazing. Most have to go to other countries like Mexico to specific clinics to access these treatments.
In the highly studied field of addiction and the brain, certain psychedelic drugs have been found to reset the addictive patterns in your brain, assisting the patient in avoiding painful withdrawal altogether, and relieve them of most of their urges to shoot up and smoke ever again. At a time when 
I have learned from the past ten years of my own life that our brains are AMAZING in their abilities to adapt and change! First through a new marriage at age 50, then a serious brain injury at 53, and by moving to a rural area at 60, after decades of city life, I have experienced a complete brain reset. Yes, I did have quite a bit of withdrawal and definitely some discomfort as I went through these changes, but I would say now, change is possible and even highly recommended as we age.
Adventures of the NEW??? Old Farts 