Who Were The Hippies?
It was the 1960’s in America, and hippies were everywhere. Exotic creatures with long hair, beads, flowery clothing. They spoke up and acted out. Hippies were young people going somewhere in this world and taking America with them. They were activists.
They were young, but they knew what they wanted--a world that let them live by their own ideals. When you know what you want, you'll find a way. You make some mistakes along the way, but you learn and you grow.
Maybe you were among the many young people who joined that movement. Or maybe a parent or grandparent was. If so, you might have stories to add.
I think we might learn something from the hippies that could help us heal the fracture we're seeing in America today. We just have to listen. Are you up for the challenge?
What About Me? Was I A Hippie?
By all rights, I should have been a hippie. I was a mid-century baby, born in 1950. I was coming of age as the hippies were bursting onto the scene with their bell-bottom pants and flower themed clothing, and music that spoke with passion.
But I grew up in a small town that most people in this country had never heard of, too small to generate much in the way of “wild youth.” On top of that, I was shy and not really the adventurous type. Probably not hippie material. I had no clue what life offered me, or even what I wanted.
I eventually came out of my shell a little. For a time I wore a headband and bell-bottom pants. I had a colorful shirt or two. I loved the music of the day and listened to it often. I went to some concerts. But a hippie? No, not really.
I wasn’t protesting anything or using drugs. I was nothing like the hippies who blazed across America. If you were shy too, maybe you understand the feeling of watching from the sidelines, not taking action, of wondering what you wanted from life, or what you had to offer.
I just made my way into adulthood quietly, not demanding attention. I was content. I didn’t know much about politics or social issues. (Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.)
As My Generation Left Childhood Behind
But as I moved toward adulthood, the world that loomed--the Vietnam war, the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy, Watergate--all showed that America had problems. I hadn’t been paying enough attention.
As Watergate continued to dominate the news cycle, I realized voting wasn’t the whole answer. I started thinking I should get more involved. Where did America go wrong? I understood I should become part of the solution. But where to begin?
I put a bumper sticker on my car that read, “Don’t blame me. I voted for McGovern.” Maybe I had some hippie potential after all! But I was just an echo of the hippies around me. They knew what they wanted; I was still searching.
That Hippie Echo
Do you ever feel like you’ve been on the sidelines, a silent observer? Have you ever felt there must be something more you should do? That’s how I was starting to feel.
Over the years I’ve gotten more active and aware. I’ve done a little phone banking and door knocking for campaigns, and I followed enough news and politics to have an informed opinion. I almost always made it to the polls to vote.
But I wasn’t an activist. I wasn’t stirred up enough to march in the streets. Not until now.
America Today
Today the level of disagreement–-no, that’s not a strong enough word–-the violence, the cruelty, the disdain so many Americans express toward each other-–how did we get here? And how do we change it?
Late in life my purpose is taking shape. Do you want to be part of the solution? If so, let's figure out how to help America find calmer waters.
We can do better. We have to do better. Maybe you too are asking, “How can we save our country from this madness?" If everybody's yelling, who's listening?
Watching the news, or exploring social media, wherever I encounter the anger of politicians, voters, pundits, the way people are yelling at each other--that scares me.
What scares me the most is the hatred I feel rising up in me. I don’t want that for myself. I don’t want it for any of us. Does it make you uncomfortable too?
To remind myself that America is still a great country I’ve been reading some of our history. We’ve done some horrible things, but we’ve also done wonderful things. Nobody's perfect. Even America. But we're good, and we can surely be better if we work together.
Rereading the history I thought I already knew, I'm confident we can get through this. I hope you feel that way too. If so, I think you’ll enjoy taking this journey with me.
I Have Faith In America...And In Americans
Yes, there’s a lot of both good and bad in our past. But knowing we need to honestly assess our own strengths and weaknesses to improve, we should know we have to do the same with our country.
If we calm down and listen to one another, I believe we’ll be able to unite and steer America to calmer waters. I felt confident and encouraged--renewed even, as I marched with thousands of others, all of us chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”
We were a mix of age, race, gender, religion, political affiliation, philosophy, personal stories--all marching as one and affirming, “We stand together.” That’s what America should be.
What is democracy if not freedom to choose how we live and what we believe in? We have different ideas about policy, but that’s what conversation and compromise are for. Cooperation is part of any successful society.
Don't we want America to succeed? Working together, even through disagreements, has gotten us this far--not always smoothly, but we're here today because our founders agreed to work together, and they obligated us to do the same.
The Hippie ideals
Those hippie ideals of peace, love and freedom are a good place to start our journey. There were some things about the hippie subculture that I don’t want for myself, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look at the big picture. The hippies brought a lot to the table.
This website is my way of exploring both America and the hippie subculture, acknowledging that neither is perfect. If we can amplify the good and overcome the bad, maybe we can improve our country and ourselves. Isn't that worth some effort?
The Journey
In these pages we'll take stock of America and its tumultuous history. We'll see how the hippies and other social movements had a part in shaping the country. I hope to remind us where we’ve been and motivate us to move forward. If that appeals to you, please join us.
Let's share ideas and visions focusing on ways to calm the troubled waters. Will you work with us to solve the issues we face? Can't we respect each other and preserve our country, even when we have differing views?
Let's give each other the space to grow. Let's cooperate and develop America into the “more perfect union” our founders envisioned. With even moderate success we’ll be better off, and so will the generations that follow.
Will you join me on this journey to calm the waters and encourage cooperation among Americans? Are you ready? Read on!