Definition of a 'hippie'

Published on January 17, 2005 By dharmagrl In Misc

In my last article, I outlined my D and my plans to get a VW vanagon or Westfalia camper and take off around the good ol' US of A every summer (this is after our kids have split, of course). Dr Guy responded and mentioned that I might just be a 'hippie'.

This got me thinking.....what makes a person a 'hippie'?

When you say hippie to me, I think of a tye-dye and birkenstock wearing, stinky, dreadlocked, hairy legged chick who smokes a lot of pot, doesn't eat meat, and who loves the Grateful Dead.

I don't wear tye-dye, I don't smoke pot or have dreadlocks, I eat meat on occasion, I DO shave my legs, and whilst I like Jerry Garcia et al I'm sure as heck not a Dead Head.

However, I do tend to say 'dig', 'chick', 'man', 'dude', and groovy frequently, I do wear Birkenstocks and Earth Shoes, I do yoga, and I do want to own a VW.

If those things make me a hippie...then I guess I'm a hippie.

I want your opinion, though. What do you think defines a 'hippie'? Are YOU one? Do you want to be one?

I'm interested in what you have to say.....

Comments (Page 2)

Texas Wahine

on Jan 17, 2005

Hippies rock.

kingbee

on Jan 18, 2005

Hippies rock

n roll.

M-Post

on Jan 18, 2005

My parents were hippies!! They wore tie dye, had long hare and smoked the ganj!!! And just typing that out makes me laugh!

I've always been told that being a hippie means believing in freedom, non aggression, nature, and self knowledge.

With the definition above I like to believe I'd qualify as a hippie...

Hippies are cool though because you can like them and curse them at the same time! Damn hippies!!

kingbee

on Jan 18, 2005

plans to get a VW vanagon or Westfalia camper

the good thing about that type of vintage vw bus is how quickly and easily you can remove the entire engine should it need repairs. the bad thing about them is the reason i know this.

dharmagrl

on Jan 18, 2005

Hippies rock

Yep, I think so too.

n roll

I don't do that part.....but it was pretty funny!

I've always been told that being a hippie means believing in freedom, non aggression, nature, and self knowledge.

With the definition above I like to believe I'd qualify as a hippie...

I think you would as well.....as would I. Kewl! I'm a hippie!

the good thing about that type of vintage vw bus is how quickly and easily you can remove the entire engine should it need repairs. the bad thing about them is the reason i know this.

Hehe.....I had thought the same thing. I'm not even going to ask the circumstances surrounding your discovery of that information....oh screw it, yes I am. What happened?!

Dr Guy

on Jan 18, 2005

the good thing about that type of vintage vw bus is how quickly and easily you can remove the entire engine should it need repairs. the bad thing about them is the reason i know this.

Oh so True! I called them Tinkertoy engines for that purpose. Oh, and one more thing. The lack of power! Dont try driving over mountains in one!

BTW: I did have a VW Beetle! With a Sun Roof to boot!

dharmagrl

on Jan 18, 2005

Dont try driving over mountains in one!

We had already talked about that....there are ways to get around it, apparently.

BTW: I did have a VW Beetle! With a Sun Roof to boot!

Aha....so you had hippie-ish tendencies!

Dr Guy

on Jan 18, 2005

Aha....so you had hippie-ish tendencies!

True, you found me out! Then I had to get a real job and support a family. Had to leave my tye-died shirts and love beads behind!

KarmaGirl

on Jan 18, 2005

The vets that I take my dogs to are hipies. They are a husband and wife team and own their practice. They are both very "natural" looking. (Not a lot of jewelry, makeup, they have long hair and the guy has a beard). They are also very caring and enjoy nature. They are very earthy people and live a very modest life even though they make a lot of money. They are both vegetarians. The man treats farm animals and told me "you shouldn't eat what you treat".

There is actually an exhibit in the Henry Ford Museum about the "Hippy lifestyle". It basic outline was that the people living the lifestyle believed that we needed to get back to nature and that we should learn to be peaceful toward each other.

My husband says that I am a "Yippy", which is a hybrid of a yuppie and a hippy. I have a "professional career" and like my electronics and stuff, but I also have a very earthy side. I recycle way more than I throw away, I shop at Whole Foods (which is mainly organic and sells earth friendly cleaning products and recycled goods), I am learning yoga, I meditate, I grow a garden, and I own a VW Karman Ghia.

I don't think I will ever be a true "Hippy" because I like my electronics too much

Gideon MacLeish

on Jan 18, 2005

I agree, "hippie" is a state of mind.

One of the many reasons we homeschool our children is so that their schooling needs will not conflict with our desire to travel should the funds once again present themselves. In better times, we trekked across Iowa to Council Bluffs on one vacation, went to DC and Gettysburg on another, to baseball's spring training on another, to a "hippie" music festival in NC on another (with a brief, unplanned stop in Tom T. Hall's hometown, which I thought incredibly cool).

Now I'm quixotically considering plans to try to arrange for horseback riding along part of the route where Gen.Pershing's troops chased Pancho Villa (my grandfather rode with those troops)...all part of the general coolness that is life!

dharmagrl

on Jan 18, 2005

It basic outline was that the people living the lifestyle believed that we needed to get back to nature and that we should learn to be peaceful toward each other.

And that's what I'd like to do. Live in harmony with nature, instead of abuse her and use her.

I agree, "hippie" is a state of mind.

Me too.

My husband described me last night as having "strong hippie-ish tendencies, but given the right environment would probably go the whole hog and be an out and out hippie". In a way I agree with him...if we didn't live on an AF base, I think my tendencies would be much stronger. As it is, we're in semi-suburbia and have rules and regulations imposed upon us which limit what I can do....

...I'm still not into tye-dye though!

Gideon, that trip sounds fantastic. I've often though about home-schooling our kids...but I know my limitations, so we leave it to the professionals!

Dr Guy

on Jan 18, 2005

...I'm still not into tye-dye though!

try it, You Like it!

ParaTed2k

on Jan 18, 2005

if we didn't live on an AF base, I think my tendencies would be much stronger.

Picture me, a young Specialist in a Parachute Rigger unit at Ft. Bragg N.C. A few others and I were assigned to a detail painting the unit day room. We were told to go home and change into some grubbies, ones that we wouldn't mind getting messed up by paint.

I had told the guys about my old "bell bottoms" and figured this would be a great opportunity to give them a laugh (mind you, bell bottoms have made something of a comeback now, but, as you may remember, wearing bells in the 80s would have been right up there with eating worms. I showed up for the detail in bare feet, a red tie dye, and a pair of "bell bottom blues" that would make Eric Clapton's day!

Blue jeans, with the outer seam cut to the knee. In the seam was the classic bell bottom "triangle" of fabric (never really knew if that had a name). The fabric was navy blue with small "cameo" style imprints in what would be called a "tiled" pattern if I were describing a desktop wallpaper. Each imprint was an elipse of white stars, with a small pink rose in each. Each about 3/4 of an inch high.

They all had fun laughing and calling me "hippy", and we went to work. Sometime during the detail, our 1st SGT called the company into formation. Dutifully, we quickly put lids on the paint and ran.

So, picture me dressed as described above, standing in a formation in a sea of camoflage BDUs!!! ;~D

Ahhhh, the memories!!! ;~D

dynamaso

on Jan 18, 2005

I agree it is a state of mind more than anything else. My parents used to call me a hippy simply because I had long hair and a beard, at one point. While I am very environmentally minded and try to be as peaceful and as tolerant as I can be, I don't necessarily subscribe to being labelled as such (As Manopeace said "Labels, shmabels). If you are going to call me anything, call me by my first name. At least that way I'll answer you.

Cheers,

Maso

dharmagrl

on Jan 18, 2005

Blue jeans, with the outer seam cut to the knee. In the seam was the classic bell bottom "triangle" of fabric (never really knew if that had a name).

My big brother used to do that to his jeans....and I, in turn did it to mine. I still have a pair like that in the back of the closet....mine have fabric triangles with little blue and pink paisleys on them.

So, picture me dressed as described above, standing in a formation in a sea of camoflage BDUs!!!

I'd have paid to see that......that'd have been freakin' hilarious!

While I am very environmentally minded and try to be as peaceful and as tolerant as I can be, I don't necessarily subscribe to being labelled as such

Neither do I. Peacefulness is often seen as a sign of weakness....and that is something I most certainly am not.

I have noticed myself becoming more environmentally aware - from wanting a green burial, to recycling plastic grocery bags by cutting them into strips, tying them together and knitting them into a new, bigger, stronger bag that I can re-use again and again, to being motivated enough to write letters to my congressman and representative protesting plans to destroy America's wilderness habitats.

If I keep progressing the way I have been...well, I might be wearing tye-dye before too long.

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