You May Be A Hippie At Heart ~ A Test

I know that I am getting older because I realize that those Hippies of my time become fewer each year. Most of you were not around during the "Summer of Love", "Woodstock" or the inception of  "4:20". Perhaps you weren't a Hippie then, but is it possible that you are a Hippie of today? Possible that you have the soul of a Hippie and don't know it? Maybe, possibly. Can something such as this be proved? You see, I think that it is possible that some of you really are Hippies, but you don't know it, because you weren't there 45 years ago. Maybe the day of the Hippie was over before you were born, and since you never really saw them, you don't recognize traits within yourself. So I have come up with a little test, simple, and surely never to be mentioned in the "Harvard Medical Journal", but quite possibly self-revealing. Take it, I promise that it won't hurt. But try to be honest. No one but you will ever know how you answered. But, beware, you may learn something about yourself ~ ha-ha-ha...

1. Do you care more about Big Business, or the health of the environment.

A. Big Business, we need jobs.
B. Not my problem, I just want to live my life.
C. Nature is all of our Mother. Help her!

2. Do you think Love is a personal freedom because you have the right to show Love to whomever you choose? (Remember, there is a difference between love and sex.)

A. Love is NOT a freedom, it is an emotion.
B. Love is something you should be very careful with, very selective about.
C. Love is in endless supply, the more I give, the more I have to give again!

3. When you see a stranger, do you smile and say hello?

A. Absolutely not! You can't afford to encourage people you don't know in today's world.
B. Sometimes, if they look OK, but I am skeptical of some people I see.
C. Yes, a smile given results in a smile returned. Such a nice and simple human gesture.

4. Would you prefer to be seen with your friends, or be seen by your friends.

A. By my friends if I am being seen with cool people doing cool things.
B. Who cares, as long as I am seen, that's cool.
C. With my friends, because that is when I am happiest.

5. Do you see people of a different race or religion as things to be suspicious of, or as people you would be interested in talking with and learning about.

A. Absolutely, it is best if people stay with their own kind!
B. Sometimes because I don't trust the motives of others. They may subvert me!
C. I want to talk with them, learn about their culture, learn about their problems and joys.

6. Do you think that real learning comes from text books, or through life and the interactions you experience.

A. Real education can only come from school.
B. Real education means college, and finding a mentor in the world after graduation.
C. School is great, but real life, real experiences, meeting real people is required to understand what you have been taught.

7. Do you see the rich, famous and powerful as role models, or do you see people working hard to and trying to do the right thing as role models?

A. Rich, powerful and famous people drive the world. That is what I want to be, a driver!
B. I want more out of my life than simply surviving, I want to have the good things.
C. People who work hard and do the right thing are the backbone of society. They keep it together. They are the unsung hero's.

8. Do you think meals together are a time of enjoyment, or something to avoid and rush through?

A. I am always busy, I eat when and where I can.
B. Eating together is nice, but first things first.
C. Eating together is the highlight of my day, it is so much more than just a meal, it is a time of joy and interaction I relish.

9. When you look at a country scene, do you see the beauty of nature or the potential for resources and a new housing development?

A. I am always looking for opportunity. When you see it, you can't allow it to pass.
B. I don't think about it one way or another. It is simply there, and if it changes, it isn't because of me.
C. Natures wonders must be preserved for all time. The beauty of nature is something to be protected.

10. Do you believe that all people have the same basic needs, or that they need only what someone else wants them to have?

A. People need to be taught the right religion and the right political and economic way of life.
B. We need to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We need to give them missionaries, political advisers and industrial assistance to raise them up.
C. All people have the right to their own lives, to their own choices of religion and societal structure. We should help only when the people ask for our help.

Now you see, that wasn't too difficult or painful. As I said, it was very simple. So, what do you think? Do you think that you possibly have a little Hippie in you? That obviously depends upon your answers. Here is the "Hippie Index". There were 10 simple questions, designed with absolutely no scientific process, and with no real purpose, except to look at yourself.

If you answered "C" to questions, you have answered like a Hippie. Answering "C" in:

0 answers means you are not a Hippie and you never will be.

1 to 3 times means you have a bit of Hippie in you, and you understand partially what Hippies really are.

4 to 6 times that you have some real Hippie tendencies, and you should try to learn a little more about yourself.

7 to 9 times means you have inherited the "Hippie Gene". You understand that people are really the same the world around and that truth lies in understanding, not in believing what others tell you.

10 ~ If you answered "C" to all 10 questions, welcome to the world of love, peace and the pursuit of understanding. I suggest that you quickly get online and buy some tie-dye kits, a few peace signs and go on Auto Trader to search for a good used VW van and some really bright and colorful paint to decorate it with.

So, what was all of this foolishness about. It is about you, all of you. It is about us, everyone in the world. If you were really honest with yourself about what you feel, you will see that you sometimes do not act with the convictions of your heart, but with the conventions of your peers. Now it is up to you. You have to make a decision for yourself to do what you feel is the right thing, or to do only as you are expected and told to do. World change comes from changing attitudes, and it is a slow process. And as with everything, that change begins with you.

But remember this, Hippies are NON-VIOLENT! We engaged in social protests and civil disobedience, but we were never violent. Violence is a way to force change, and forced change is never good, and never lasting. Real peace and real love come from within. Change the world by changing hearts and minds, and your changes will be real and lasting. Change attitudes, and watch good in this world flourish as evil withers. But, what do I know? I am only one man, and an Old Hippie. The time of my generation is coming to an end, and your time is here. What are you going to do with it? Have A Great Day,

The Old Hippie