09/09/2026
From Roger Dekeyzer '76 about Samohi and growing up in Santa Monica...
Was Growing Up In Santa Monica, Privileged?
I'm Samo, '76.
I had a great time in high school, and the world around me was wide open to explore, all those years ago. 10 speed bikes down the beach path to Manhattan Beach, and up to Malibu Colony. A few hitch hikes to Santa Barbara. From being on the volleyball team, and playing beach tournaments, I got to know kids from San Diego to Santa Cruz. Life was safe and secure and I managed to stay out of trouble. Life was fun. And I did what I would later learn to be a number of unique and amazing things. It was good, really good.
My career would wind up taking me to dozens of cities and states. Some were "project" jobs, 2 -3 months at a time. For 2.5 years I had a job that travelled daily. A train job. My life was likes the lyrics from a famous song, The City of New Orleans.
"Good morning, America, how are you?"
Ï'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done."
15 years ago, I met Terri, and we embarked on a career that would take us to a new city, a new state each year.
I've had the opportunity to meet and converse with thousands of people from all over the country.
"Roger.....So where are you from?"
"Santa Monica."
I came to discover, that Santa Monica was a place of notoriety. People had heard of it. As they had of it's neighboring communities, Venice, Malibu, Pacific Palisades. They knew about The Pier. Golds Gym and Arnold. The Reel Inn. Dog Town, Sunset Blvd, The Whiskey, The Troubador, Spago's, Wolfgang Pucks, Hollywood and movie stars. Across the country, there were Lakers fans, Dodger fans. Rock star fans. Movie star fans.
And they have questions.....lots of them.
Me? Tucson, Harrisonburg, Gonzalez, Sanibel Island, Lennox. I don't have many questions, and until I got there, I knew next to nothing about these places that I would be living in, and getting to know the people.
It took me several years to understand what a special place I came from. I was 42, when someone first told me that I was "privileged". I dislike that word. To me, it has an economic association. It does to many people. It has a negative connotation. Like saying, "Hey, you are rich." And that an ëntitled" attitude comes with it. Wrong.
SM in the 60's, 70's, 80's was diverse. A social salad bowl and melting pot. Races, nationalities, religions and economic differences. SM was part of the greater West Side, as it was commonly called then. Brentwood, West La, Inglewood, Westwood, El Segundo, and previously mentioned communities, all nearby. All different. We had friends there. Parents worked there. It wasn't always perfect, but for the most part, people got along. This was all a part of it's specialness.
There was also climate and geography. Great weather overall, and the biggest complaint was The June Gloom. There was a fantastic mix of outdoors and city. You could surf in the morning, and get to Big Bear by 3pm, ski a couple of hours and then night ski. Hike in The SM mountains. Roller blade on the boardwalk, brunch, a concert in the evening. Santa Barbara was 2 hours away. A little further was Ojai and wine tours. A day trip to Tijuana. Laker games. Dodger games. UCLA, USC. The clubs on The Strip offered new and upcoming music superstars. Playhouses all over. Fishing from 4 piers. Horseback riding in Griffith Park. Open gyms and tennis courts all over. 2 hours to Mojave and dirt bike riding.
You got 3 or 4 days? Catalina Island. Go to Santa Cruz, The Redwoods, Yosemite, ski Mammoth, dune buggies at Pismo Beach, surf in Baja, Hearst Castle.
Visitors? Disneyland of course! Knott's Berry Farm. Universal Studios. Marine World, Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Alvera St., China Town, Hollywood Blvd.
There was an amazing amount of things to do and places to see.
And it didn't cost an arm and a leg. !!!!!
In 1975 the national average of disposable income, (money left after expenses paid) was 16%. 2026, it's 3 %. That means we had 5 times as much money left to spend as we pleased. As younger people, we had less expenses. No rent until we moved out. Room mates, borrowing Mom and Dad's car, (only paying for gas), home for some dinner nights. The summer tourist seasons created jobs for us. Many of us worked. Fast food, garden work, clean up jobs. Gas stations, retail, ushers, delivery services, tow truck drivers, car washes. We had all kinds of jobs, and much of those earnings were expendable.
And many things were cheaper and relative to those times. Entertainment? Ticket prices for event entertainment have skyrocketed. 1975, a big name act was $7-$12. Now, $125 - $400. Dodger tickets 1975, $3 - $6, box seats $11. 2026, nosebleed seats start $48. 2026 premium or lower level start at $900. Nearly all our activities cost less, way less. Much more free parking. Eating out cost less. Car maint. cost less. And on, and on.
So..... many of us were never rich. Many grew up in apartment buildings. The one or both parents we had worked, a lot. Used cars were common. VW's, Pintos, hatchbacks. We had summer and often weekend jobs. Many of us learned to be much more independent, at an earlier age, than kids today. Times were safer. I've got 3 kids and as a parent, what they were allowed to do, vs what I did, was vastly different. It had to be. I wish it wasn't...... but?
Of the hundreds and hundreds of people I have met from other states, few share the enjoyment of youthful times as much as I did. I feel guilty sometimes talking about it. And I wasn't privileged. At least not economicly. I/we grew up in very different decades, as did the rest of the U.S.. However, with SM as a sort of hub, and then, the rest of Southern California as a backyard, it might very well be one of the most unique places in the country to have grown up. I wish more people could have experienced that.
Growing up in SM was indeed special. Incredibly so. I'm forever grateful for that. All the examples, I've written about, the events, places.......? I did all those. Been there. And more. By the time I was 26. Then I left Ca. married and raised a family. I realize now, that in some ways, I have lived more of a lifetime in those years, than many others have up until their 60's, or later even.
SM has changed. I suppose all places do. What was, is not there anymore as far as I can tell. It can't be. Too much of the world has changed.
The privilege? It was called Santa Monica.
** The Class of '76 will have their 50th reunion in a couple of weeks. Circumstances are that I won't be there. Quite a few won't. I wish that was different. It won't be in SM. I'm a little upset about that....... and I'll leave it as that. It's part of the change. I'm thrilled that for the past several months, and through to today, I've reconnected with some old friends. Just like SM was special, so were/are these friends. That's another thing that i discovered with all the people I've met over the years. Many, many, do not have the connections that our generation still has from so long ago. I've seen some group pictures posted recently and received some. It's the same 8 or 10 people, that were hanging out together 50 years ago.
SM has somehow bred many long lasting friendships. Lots of people talk about friendships from college. We, are talking about friendships from jr. high and before. To me, that is also special.
Privileged, in fact
