Fashion Statement

L.A.,  1970

Long ago and far away -- forty-one years and a tad under a thousand miles from here in this picture -- we lived in L.A. It was the bottom floor of a three-story place running down the side of a hill in Echo Park, and it had an avocado tree in the front yard, which, if you climbed, you could look down and see Echo Park Lake. (It was a big avocado tree. and at the time, we didn't have a clue what to do with the fruit that littered the yard. Such a waste.)


The image is of my best old ex-friend Greg, as the support guy, with me doing a four-point-shoulder stand. To the right are Greg's second wife, Jackie, holding my son, Dal.  Down on the porch, my daughter, Danelle, in the baby carrier. 


I was twenty-two and still working at an aluminum company, so the hair is short, but the clothes ... ? Ah,  hippie chic ...


I am wearing a pair of red bellbottom jeans, fringed moccasins, orange socks, and a Rit-dyed, black karate gi, already faded to a pale gray. Had a short beard, too. 


We actually used to walk around in public like that. Really. 


Peace, brother. Far out ...