A Simple Twist of Fate

Things in our past seem to pop up at the oddest times. Sometimes the thoughts are good, sometimes bad, and sometimes strange.

As I was awaiting sleep to come upon me last evening, I found myself back in time. I’d gone to see Paul Revere and the Raiders. (They were a rock and roll band in the '60's) with some friends. It was an innocent time. When you could wait for "stars", get autographs, snap pictures, even have fun following them home, or getting near the houses.

Getting my drivers license was, as I’m sure all kids feel, was FREEDOM! For myself and my friends, Hollywood was our Friday night hangout, that or Disneyland, usually we did one one week and another the next.

So it was on a warm evening, that I was in my VW bug with my friends after a Paul Revere concert to follow them (well for me Mark Lindsay was my heartthrob) on the freeway toward their homes.

Being shy back then, when we arrived near Marks house, I held back (yes, believe it or not, we could have gone inside the house). We waved and I turned towards home, that dark evening.

A strange twist of fate had me at Marks house that night. It was a house to become famous. The house Mark had shared with Terry Melcher for a time would soon be in the headlines.

IT WAS THE HOUSE OF THE MANSON MURDERS!

It seems that it is a little known fact that while many reports say Manson had intended to kill Melcher for not using his music (but found Tate and her friends, not Melcher), that Mark Lindsay had lived there too!

I can still see the gate, the house, the darkness. It felt safe. I'm sure it did to those who moved in later to meet their fate!