by Kenna M. Lindsay
In a candid and vulnerable interview, Jim Siegel, owner of Distractions, tells his story.
A Daly City kid uprooted and moved east in childhood, Jim shares about the abuses he faced as a young gay man in early-1970s Philadelphia. After leaving home at 16, he made his way to the Haight-Ashbury Switchboard, the computer of the hippies, where he found a community, built a life, and learned many lessons. Jim’s store, Distractions, has outfitted countless social and cultural movements in its time: from the birth of the P.L.U.R. (Peace Love Unity Respect) rave era, to the heights of Burning Man and festival culture, and even through the lows of the first dot com downturn and covid, Jim has stood witness to (and created) San Francisco’s colorful history.
Jim: During the summer of Love, my father used to take us to see the hippies. I fell in love with ‘em. After leaving home, I got adopted by the Haight Ashbury Switchboard — it was like the computer for the hippie movement. 24 hours a day, you could call anytime. We’d let people crash there. We had a free store. We published a survival guide. We listed every place that had free food, shelter, legal help, anything you could want. I started the White Rabbit (now Distractions) with two other partners. If I owned the building, I would keep it open and work for the rest of my life. I love it. It’s my social life. But I don’t know how anybody’s making a profit on Haight Street anymore. High rents, e-commerce, covid, homelessness, shoplifting are the major reasons I’m closing [after Halloween.] I’ll start the going-out-of-business sale in October.
Kenna: How can people carry forward the spirit of the’60s?
J: Volunteer. Be kind. Leave this world a better place. Be grateful. Whatever you do, benefit others around you by your actions. Treat the Earth with respect. Treat people with respect. That’s the heart of the hippie movement. Be inclusive, be respectful, be giving. Smile.
K: Thank you so much, Jim. Is there anything else you want to share?
J: I’m certainly gonna miss y’all. You’ll have to come by Gus Parklet and look for me on the weekends. I’d love to see everybody still. You’re all in my heart.
@KennaMLindsayArt
