Monday, June 2, 2008

Back in the Day Calculator





This is for some fun!

For about the last six months Mike has been using the phrase back in the day frequently in his conversations with me. It came into his speech suddenly and, figuring he had picked it up from someone who overuses the phrase, I finally asked him who at work says this. He is clueless, wasn't even aware that he'd been saying it. I was intrigued enough about the term to run a search and came upon this great little back in the day calculator built by the folks at happyrobotUSA. They had noticed that people recently were abusing the phrase (I am not insinuating that Mike is among them) to reference a wide range of time. When you select the year you were born and click submit the calculator tells you your real individual time frame for back in the day.

My own time frame for back in the day turned out to be 1968-1974. I'd recently played with my camera at the creek that runs through the little town where I live and thought this shot was as good as any to depict my back in the day. Jimi Hendrix released his album, Are You Experienced? that included the song Purple Haze in 1967, but I didn't get the record until Christmas that year, effectively placing the music into my life as 1968 began.

I've read that Hendrix claimed to have written Purple Haze after a dream in which he was at the bottom of the sea and found himself engulfed in a purple haze, and that his faith in Jesus saved him. OOoo-Kay . . .

I still think it was written about LSD. I never got into psychedelic drugs, having had the strong feeling that I'd be one of those who would overdo and never return. This album was so great you didn't need to be on drugs to feel transported by it, anyway.

At the end of the day, back in the day is only reflection.

Purple Haze
-Jimi Hendrix

Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
Acting funny but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky

Purple haze all around
Don't know if I'm climbin' up or down
Am I happy or in misery
Whatever it is that girl put a spell on me

Help me help me

Purple haze all in my eyes
Don't know if it's day or night
You got me blown blown my mind
Is it tomorrow or the end of time

Help me help me

8 comments:

sharryb said...

Hey, your words are indeed flowing. I've been out of touch and just saw the new (what to call it?) wet sand logo. I feel silly, but I had never heard "back in the day" and am not totally sure what it means. I went to the calculator and still don't get it. No matter. The hazy purple photo is divine.

robin ann mcintosh said...

wonderful post, Lydia. I'm off to check what my reference for back in the day is... that Hendrix was a crazy cat!

Lydia said...

Thanks, Robin. Let me know what your back in the day is, maybe even a memory from that time. Yup, Hendrix was all that. My 15-yr-old nephew is now writing his own (v.good) songs and has a band. I think I might send him my Jimi album for Christmas; it's kind of a collectors' item I would imagine.

seniorwriter said...

My "Back in the Day" was, according to the calculator, 1949-1957 (yes, I'm old). That covers my last year of high school, four years of college, and part of grad school. Those weren't exactly my best years, but I guess they were necessary ones. I can't connect them with any music, unless it's with my discovering opera in college. I've never been into pop music.

Wayfaring Wanderer said...

Wicked cool......I'm def going to try that out later!

Lydia said...

Seniorwriter Marlys,
Interesting to point out that not the best years were necessary. I think you are a fascinating woman, and I ordered your book "Reinventing Myself" from Amazon.com today to learn more!
I discovered opera in sobriety and love it deeply. Mike and I were members of the Portland Opera for six years, and we've missed going regularly. Next season for sure! Portland's classical music station often features Chicago Lyric Opera, always so enjoyable.



WW,
Hope you have fun going "back in the day"!

Jill said...

Hi Lydia. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. It's so nice to know that we connected via Paris!

Lydia said...

Jill,
Yes, isn't it amazing that we connected via Paris Daily Photo, when we could just as likely be at the Salem Arts Festival, oo-ing and aw-ing over an artist's creativity at the same time!

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