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What happened to you Anti war types? America has been in war in the Middle East just about as long as the Vietnam war. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed by our weapons in American soldiers hands, and all this has been a big recruiter for terrorists. We have to stop this world cop business.
I like your post but take exception to the word "types." I know a number of people, from lawyers and doctors to nurses to students to so-called hippies, who joined forces to march against the Iraq "war" before it began. Like there was no one "type" for those marching for racial equality, there is none for those who oppose the unnecessary destructions of war or the destructions of life forms from climate change and pipelines.
Again I assert that the 60s and early 70s did not have just one "type" of alternative lifestyle. "Flower children" and Woodstock and drugs always come to mind first, but in reality there was a broad and intensive range of people living and working against the grain for positive change.
How many thousands of the largest generation was even at Woodstock.Every few really and its only a memory for those people; if they can remember JK. I can of look at such things like going out and getting drunk with friends in college. I seem to remember fun and smile but only on thinking harder remember the hangover. Sadly I have friends who did it a lot and the hangover still effects them in their life.
I think we suffer from a multitude of definitions of the word "hippie" on this forum. We might all be closer to agreement that a peaceful person who loves nature, is into healthful practices and doesn't do drugs can be a hippie that some could approve.
Depends on when and why we formed our own personal definition.
...Never did drugs nor was into how much I could score (free love) with the girls at a party….
That's free sex. Free love is related but not the same. It's more about open relationships. Hard to define the difference but you know it when you see it.
The multiple divorces, the affairs, lazy business practices and numerous bankruptcies. No you shouldn't try to be friends with your kids and their friends. No you shouldn't smoke pot with your kids. No you shouldn't be trying to get your kids to try to be less concerned about money, status and security when you are still getting a stipend from your elderly parents and driving a mercedes.
That's what you think we all did?
I can only speak for myself. One marriage (34 years so far), no divorces, no affairs, my business is doing fine but thanks for your concern, no bankruptcies. My kids are approaching middle age and to some extent they're friends, but I'd agree that is not the right way to think about raising them. I think my kids should earn as much money as they can; that's where security comes from; they'll decide about status. I never got a stipend from my elderly parents after college, and I've never driven a Mercedes, even with my own money.
I am aware of lives ruined by drugs, drink, and divorce, but…stereotypes tend to suck.
I think we suffer from a multitude of definitions of the word "hippie" on this forum. We might all be closer to agreement that a peaceful person who loves nature, is into healthful practices and doesn't do drugs can be a hippie that some could approve.
Depends on when and why we formed our own personal definition.
1. I am a peaceful person.
2. I love nature.
3. I am into healthful practices.
4. I do not do drugs.
But I am ABSOLUTELY not a hippie. Not even close.
I do agree with you that there is a problem about definitions. "Hippie" is a bit vague and encompasses a certain range of beliefs and practices, just like "mainstream" encompasses a wide variety of beliefs and practices.
Let's take one example, that of materialism. Although I consider myself mainstream, I have never been a keep-up-with-the-Joneses person. I just quietly lived below my income level (which wasn't very impressive anyway) because that was my choice and my comfort zone. I wasn't militant about it, I didn't consider working a regular job to be evil or compromising, I wasn't particularly rebelling against anything, nor was I an extremist about it.
Yes, there has been a lot of stereotyping in this thread. The subject matter lends itself to stereotyping and I think we have to make a concerted effort to avoid it.
Alright! Alright! I should posted: Greatest party of the century!
I know we're looking here to recall the fun times of the 60s and 70s, but in all fairness to those who served, it wasn't the greatest party of the century for them. They were stuck in h*ll holes while back home the free love movement went on.
As part of the larger picture though, the "fun" times were mixed in with a lot of anti-Vietnam war events and a lot of the music of that time* was against the war and in support of soldiers. Sometimes the greatest parties are in response to atrocities, repression, and fear...a counterbalance to what is seen as a world spinning out of control. Even the flower children stuff can be seen also as a backlash, a revolution against repressive rule and the horrors of war and social injustice...and the angst about the draft (people who feel doomed can take to partying). I think a lot in our generation were stunned and in fear, and turned to drugs and zoning out because we couldn't make sense of our world. We had no real power to really change the world, just our protests, style statements, and music.
*ETA: although a few crazies might have put down returning soldiers, there was a LOT of music sympathetic to soldiers and bringing them home. Peter Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, and many other notables felt deeply for those in service.
Largely forgotten, there was also the Mother Earth News lifestyle that emerged from that period. But I couldn't afford it at the time! No land! But the richer hippie types could well afford to do that back then! Live off the land! I knew a richer hippie type that bought a farm near Winona, MN, where I visited, and there were 10 hippies living there!
But! When I did accumulate the money, in the early 80's, I did make an attempt at it, bought 15 acres 80 miles north of Minneapolis, single-handedly built me a house, cabin, outbuildings featuring no electricity, running water, telephone and not even a hand pump, as I carried my water in 5 gallon jugs from the river, and I labored on this for over 10 years, on weekends, as I had to work. I sold it because the county mandated that I have a septic system installed, as the environmentalists were putting pressure on to eliminate outhouses! $6000 for a septic system, which I never would have used!
Compost bins, herb gardens, even dug me out a pond with a shovel. I did have a neighbor up there, worked 5 months of the year at a tourist attraction, who lived in a 14 X 14 cabin year round, with no electricity, plumbing, telephone.
Largely forgotten, there was also the Mother Earth News lifestyle that emerged from that period. But I couldn't afford it at the time! No land! But the richer hippie types could well afford to do that back then! Live off the land! I knew a richer hippie type that bought a farm near Winona, MN, where I visited, and there were 10 hippies living there!
But! When I did accumulate the money, in the early 80's, I did make an attempt at it, bought 15 acres 80 miles north of Minneapolis, single-handedly built me a house, cabin, outbuildings featuring no electricity, running water, telephone and not even a hand pump, as I carried my water in 5 gallon jugs from the river, and I labored on this for over 10 years, on weekends, as I had to work. I sold it because the county mandated that I have a septic system installed, as the environmentalists were putting pressure on to eliminate outhouses! $6000 for a septic system, which I never would have used!
Compost bins, herb gardens, even dug me out a pond with a shovel. I did have a neighbor up there, worked 5 months of the year at a tourist attraction, who lived in a 14 X 14 cabin year round, with no electricity, plumbing, telephone.
Time to go back to it. Maybe, as Happy in Wyoming believes, it's a "better way to live," at least for you.
I would not get into drugs because I was brainwashed by my parents to consume only healthy things. I wouldn't dream of smoking legal tobacco cigarettes, so why should I puff on marijuana?
Don't get me wrong ... I am an open-minded and tolerant person. You want to smoke, drink, partake of recreational drugs ... that's fine with me. I will not criticize you. My mother was the type that believed in salads, vegetables, balanced meals ... and being very moderate when it came to sweets. My oldest brother is a lifelong vegetarian and a real health food nut.
So sure, I was at parties in high school where reefer was passed around. I went to a high school of mostly privileged rich kids. In my disco dancing days I had friends who were slipping off to the bathroom to do Quaaludes. Didn't bother me one bit. I was the one with a car so I felt it was my responsibility to be sober and get everyone home safe.
Being counter-cultural for me was to do artistic things; appreciate poetry and go to poetry readings - I met Allen Ginsberg; learning meditation; travel - by the time I was 21 I had been to Europe 3 times; and to studying Eastern wisdom and philosophy.
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