Prejudice............1969

Reading today in the NYT of yet another vulgar, hurtful act of discrimination brought to mind an upsetting experience that happened way back in 1969. Here it is, and it describes a mountain hike with friends that turned into an embarassment.......and learning what it's like to be perceived as different.....

One beautiful bright and sunny Saturday, the Hawkins were up for a long hike along Boulder Creek. So, we, David, Frannie, their lawyer son-in-law, Henry, a visiting teacher from New York, James, and me, set out early in the morning.

We walked and we climbed and we talked and we laughed. We spotted butterflies and birds and flowers and rocks, and many other Mother Nature delights, teaching each other and learning from each other.

Eventually, we reached the nearest town.

Frannie suggested that we rested a while and then had a lunch in the local diner before wet set off down the canyon.

As we entered the diner's front door, me and our friend from New York were told we were not welcome in the restaurant.

Incredulous, we asked, "Why not?"

The receptionist stared at us both and said, "Out. OUT!! We don't serve long haired hippies (meaning me) and we don't serve the likes of you" (my friend).

Frannie, David and Henry protested loudly. I felt hurt, ashamed.......what had I done? Why couldn't I sit and eat like everyone else?

We made our way down the steep path, indignant about what had taken place. That night, Francois Ulam, wife of the Los Alamos mathematician, Stan, and a close friend of the Hawks, who wrote for the Boulder Camera, came for dinner. She heard about the day's events.

The story of what happened appeared in the next edition of the Camera. Then, using her real name, she wrote a letter to the editor!!
(Reader: I'll find it as I have  copy and scan it asap).

FOUND IT!!!!