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

The World Has Changed

It is a far different world today than the one of my youth. Then, America was isolated form the rest of the world by two vast oceans. The products that Americans needed were built in America. Television was new, and there were those that doubted it would ever amount to much. Air travel was not the way people traveled. WWII had ended, and the war in Korea was almost over. The only war we were fighting was the "Cold War", what ever that was. And the country was being linked with a new system of super highways. We were Americans and proud of it. Surely there was no better place on Earth to be. We were comfortable in our belief that everything was great and that it would only get better. But, the world was changing, as it always has and always will. If history teaches us anything, it is that change is constant. And change the world did. To me, it seemed so very sudden. America became embroiled in a social revolution. Things that I had never heard of, or thought about, were prompting Americans to demand changes. Issues of race, equal rights, and freedom of speech led to protests and marches throughout the country. People in every corner of America were divided. At the same time we became involved in the Vietnam War. More protests, more marches, more internal division. I was still young, only a teenager, and to me it seemed as though the idyllic world of my youth had turned to one of chaos overnight. And, like most of the youth of that time, I began to look around me, look at the things occurring in my world, listening to what people were saying and trying to make sense of it all. What a shock! I began to look at the things that were happening in the world. I began to question. What was I seeing, and what was I taught? Was there a difference? Why? And with the onset of questioning, I began to evaluate my opinions and beliefs. I discovered a new me. I discovered that I had the ability to think for myself, to question things, to form my own opinions and to become an individual. Not only did I discover I had the ability to do these things, I decided that I had the right to do these things. Further, I decided that I had a responsibility to do these things. I had a responsibility to myself. This self realization changed me. And from that point forward, I decided that I would decide what I believed, and never allow others to make those decisions for me. And that has not changed. Taking things at face value, believing things because someone says it, accepting something because it has always been that way became sins in my life. As I started to see things in a different light, I became aware that others had come to the same conclusions. Others had similar beliefs. I was not alone. And those of us who thought alike gravitated towards each other. We talked, exchanged ideas, and as our numbers grew, so did our voice. Our voice was expressed through our music, our marches, protests and literature. And the world began to take notice of us. Everything in this world seems to need labels, and we were no different, so we were labeled. Some called us radicals, malcontents and trouble makers. We were called dropouts, weirdo's and revolutionaries. We were called good things, bad things, even evil things. But to most, we were Hippies and Flower Children. And, together, we changed the world. Our voice helped to bring about changes in America. We brought about a new awareness to Americans, and in truth, to the world. We were instrumental in integration, women's rights, equal rights and political changes in America. But, once again, the world was changing. Living life means we grow older. Time does not stand still. And the Hippies of my time were not immune to this law of nature. We grew older. We began to look back upon the things we accomplished in our youth. We were proud of what we had done, and justly so in my opinion. After all, didn't we accomplish change? But, we made mistakes, as everybody does. And we did not see our mistakes because we became lost in nostalgia. We had failed in one thing, perhaps the most important thing. We failed to educate the next generation. We did not teach our children that it was their responsibility to continue to see things for what they really are, to evaluate what they saw and to form their own opinions. We did not instill in them the importance a social voice and the power that such a voice can wield. They were never taught, so it is no wonder that it has not been passed on to the present generation. Today's world is much different. The problems are more complex. America is no longer an isolated country. We are just one part of a world community. Technological changes and economics have linked the world as never before. The products we buy today come from all corners of the world. Television is not the novelty it was when I was young. It has become an integral part of life today. The Internet has given us access to information never dreamed of when I was a youth. We have evolved into a "Real Time" world with "real Time" problems. The problems of yesterday have not been solved, they did not go away. They have grown, become exponentially more complex. We still have social inequities, racial issues, civil rights issues and human rights issues. The same things we fought against fifty years ago. And we have new problems. Environmental issues we never recognized when we were young, religious issues that involve the entire world. The time has come for change. If not now, when? These are some of the concerns I have, some of the things I will talk about. The fact that change is constant is reality, not opinion. We have only two choices. Ignore changes, and allow others to dictate our world to us, or identify the changes and try to direct them towards the best interests of all of us in this world. My choice is a simple one for me. My choice is to try and make things right, not for the few, not for the rich and powerful, not for this country or that country, but right for all of the people that share this world with me. That seems an impossible task. But it is not. Look at what we did in the 60's. It begins with you and me. It begins by stepping back and looking at reality. It begins with each of us looking for the truth. It begins with exchanging ideas, eliminating preconceptions, finding commonalities and acting upon what you believe. It begins with the determination to find what is right, right not just for me, but right for everyone, and doing it. I welcome your opinions. I can only affect change within myself. I can not change you, but the truth is that if we can find commonality, we have more power to affect change then we do alone.