Definition & History of a Hippie

Recently, someone came to me to apologize that she had called me a hippie.

'That's cool, I don't care what you call me. I mean it could be worse.'

She said that she wanted me to know that she said that because she thought I had a peaceful & understanding attitude that allowed me to understand & accept a variety of people, situations, circumstances & such without looking at the superficial influences of society. I laughed and said 'Well, thank you...I'm glad to know that it didn't mean that you thought I was eating psychedelic mushrooms & celebrating free love....even though I will gladly hug anyone' I came home & pulled out my Random House dictionary, copyrighted 1970. It does not even have the word 'Hippie' in it. So I looked the word up on Dictionary.com and here is what I found...

n. pl. hip·pies

A person who opposes and rejects many of the conventional standards and customs of society, especially one who advocates extreme liberalism in sociopolitical attitudes and lifestyles.

Interesting... this definition to have nothing to do with the personal definition given to me by above mentioned person. So I have done some research & thought I might share with you what I have found about the word 'Hippie' and the history of Hippies.

The terms hipster and hippie derive from the word 'hip.' The term hipster was coined by Harry Gibson in the 1940's to describe jazz performers. One of the first recorded usages of the word hippie was in a radio show in 1945, in which Harry the Hipster aka Harry Gibson, was called a "Hippie".

Years later, in his 1964 autobiography, Malcolm X referred to the word hippy as a term that African Americans used to describe a white person who "acted more Negro than Negroes."

The more contemporary sense of the word hippie first appeared in print on September 5, 1965 in the article "A New Haven for Beatniks" In that article, Fallon wrote about the Blue Unicorn coffeehouse, using the term hippie to refer to the new generation of beatniks who had moved from North Beach into the Haight-Ashbury district.

Use of the term hippie did not catch on in the masses until 1967, after San Francisco columnists Herb Caen began referring to hippies in his daily columns.

The foundation of the hippie movement finds historical precedent as far back as the counterculture of the Ancient Greeks, espoused by philosophers like Diogenes of Sinope, Socrates & the Cynics, ... who believed in a a life of poverty, self-sufficiency & the suppression of desires. Other influences upon hippies include the ideas of Jesus Christ, Buddha, Krishna, Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi and more.

In fin de siècle Europe (1890-1914), a back-to-nature movement began. Thousands of young Germans rejected the rapid trend toward urbanization and attempted to return to the natural, pagan, and spiritual life of their ancestors.

In the first several decades of the twentieth century, these beliefs were introduced to the United States as Germans immigrated in & settled into California's warm climate which allowed for alternative lifestyles & saw the opening of the first health food stores. Their beleifs and practices were quickly adopted by other young Americans.

Eden Ahbez wrote a hit song called Nature Boy, which was recorded in 1947 by Nat King Cole, popularizing the homegrown back-to-nature movement in California to mainstream America. Since then, this song has been featured in countless movies, including Moulin Rouge. The gist of this song is that the greatest thing in life is 'to love and to be loved.' Twenty years later, a few of these 'Nature Boys,' including the famous Gypsy Boots, (who is accredited for mainstreaming alternative fitness lifestyles such as yoga & organic foods) made their way to Northern California in 1967, just in time for the Summer of Love in San Francisco.

Another influence were members of the Jamaican Rastafari movement who wore long hair (called dreadlocks), smoked pot as a sacrament, rejected the establishment and espoused a back-to-nature and back-to-their-Aftrican-roots philosophy. The 1950's saw a large immigration of Jamaicans into the UK, influencing the developing UK hippie movement, with contacts often formed when young whites would buy cannabis from black communities.

The Beatniks of the 1950's found themselves often being referred to as 'Hippies' in the 1960's although there were technically some differences between these two counter sub-cultures. Beatniks were known for their goatees, their poetry & their dismal clothing. While not known for being particularly political, the term 'Beatnik' became very commercialized in the early 1960's. 'Hippies' were known for their long hair, their bright clothing & their activity in anti-war movements & this term became more commercialized years later...

With the introduction & popularization of LSD (see Timothy Leary ) & the new folk psychedelic rock-n-roll (see the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane , Jimi Hendrix & Buffalo Springfield, among others) of the 1960's, many young people dropped out of college & began to live communally, centering their life around art, music & personal expression. In fact, by 1966 about 15,000 youth had moved into the Haight & they found their world centered around a group called the Diggers, an artistic theater group who wanted to create a free city...often providing impromptu artistic venues, including drama, music & traditional artwork, as well as free food, transportation, medical supplies & even temporary housing. Woodstock, The Summer of Love, Monterey Music Festival & Altamont led many Hippies to travel together in their 'art' vehicles and/or to hitchhiking, which was considered environmentally friendly as well as economical. These events, especially the Summer of Love, led more & more hippies to pacified political protests & marches against war & for civil rights (even though Altamont did show violence could happen even with Hippies)
The advent of the 'Pill' led many to a greater devotion of individual rights, particularly among women & the Womens' Rights Movement. Over the years, Hippies have been influenced by & have influenced religious perspectives, health & fitness attitudes, political agendas, social & personal lifestyle choices, artistic expressions, mass media, commercial ventures & fashion styles....among other things.

Socrates & Jesus Christ & Gandhi... The Grateful Dead & Bob Dylan... Rastafarians & Germans & the Youth... Yesterday & today & tomorrow... 'Hippie' seems to just be a 'new' word...at least, it wasn't in my dictionary.

Thanks for Keeping Me Grounded

Timmy Toes is camping out this week...not a bad deal.
He's loving it, as it's just about 10 minutes from his work and no rain is in the forecast.

He invited me to the campsite yesterday, my day off. So after running errands & tending to some house work & yard work, I stole some time and ran to the lake.

A lonesome cove found me floating out from the rocks and out from under the trees on a water-hammock. It was so very peaceful, quiet & relaxing.

I had one crazy critter that followed me through the water, but never really did anything threatening...even though I thought he looked like a yellow jacket.

Laying there with my eyes closed, I felt something ever so gently land on my brow just above the bridge of my nose. Not moving, I opened my eyes & looked up. A yellowish-blur was all I could see. I took my left hand and slowly went to scoop whatever it was up and off when it flew to my knee. It was the worlds largest dragonfly...yellow & brown. I have no pictures of it to share, as I had left my camera back on the rocks, but when I did return to the rocks, this baby was just waiting there.

I want to say THANK YOU to all of my blogging friends for all of your words of wisdom, encouragement & support. I know that me getting a divorce is not the end of the world and I know that I have not been the best at bouncing around this community like I would like for several months now... and for that, I apologize. Each & everyone has had a wonderful impact on me in one way or another and I just want you to know that I appreciate it very much. You guys have been my support network...thank you!

xoxox~ in the end, peace always wins and ends are really just new beginnings.

Full Color Muted by Shades of Gray

Last week I saw two rainbows, one which was a double rainbow. Weird...it was raining neither time & both were seen right before sunset...

This is a picture of one taken while driving...so the color is diffused from the windsheild.

Being privileged enough to catch a glimpse of a rainbow, or a shooting star, always makes me feel like Mother Nature is bestowing a gift upon me or maybe like she is giving me a sign.

In hindsight, I take these rainbow sightings as a sign...

...in the deep, dark, murky shades of gray out there... there is beautiful color on the horizon

The paperwork is done ...divorce has really just begun when the papers are signed. It's hard folks, under the best of terms, it's hard.

Clouds Kissing the Ground

The air was so heavy it just hung in the air. There was a mist, a fog, a ground-loving cloud that hovered with the dragonflies all around me. It was nearly a hundred degrees and with my feet in the river water, it felt like Heaven.

The sun finally joined the mist & the words that hung so low... everything just seemed to settle in. I thought it might be a good time to go home & go to sleep.

I just love the river. The rocks, the water, the mist, the sun & the serenity of it all... ah, to be a dragonfly, I could just call this place home & simply rest my head here. orhan~ last email says to 'stay above the water.' These pictures provide evidence of that but notice how the mist, the water, is either rising up upon me from the river & like a cloud dropping from the sky onto me. How prophetic your words seemed.

The Morning After Peace was Declared...One Kitty Out of the Bag

The cat is out of the bag...
The dogs still don't get it.

I chose to live, not in the shadow of someone else's life, but directly under the sun, the moon & the stars with nothing in between.

I finally chose to breath on my own again, no longer holding my breath waiting for the spoken words of another to be actuated.

I chose peace, something even those who seem to have it all, can't seem to trust or understand.

I chose to take the hits below the belts, the blows to the spirit & soul and tend to to them with patience, understanding & perhaps, most importantly, acceptance so that I could minimize my scars and battle wounds.

I chose to learn and grow, where others often choose to punish.

I chose to take those bricks of burden thrown onto my shoulders & build a little path with them.

I chose to give, not give up or give in, but simply give.

I chose to trade my despair in for determination, my broken heart for a healing one and my sense of loss for more common sense.

I chose to forgive, although I will never forget.

I chose to nurture those who had negated me, support those who had undermined me & ease those who had hurt me.

I chose peace.
Every ending is a new beginning. ☮

As we listened to the various folks & their pleas, we were surprised to find that peace is truly rare.
It was like an 'upside down and inside out' wedding...
We walked down the aisle & stood before the judge, side by side, man and wife.
I shook and shivered, like on my wedding day, but my voice remained strong & clear.
We said our 'I do's' to the man in black.
I clicked my heels three times.
He granted my wish & brought down his gavel.
TimmyToes took my hand in his & together we left the courthouse....
no longer man & wife.


Every ending is a new beginning. ☮

Here Kitty, kitty, kitty...C'mon Out That Bag

I'm a 'Dog Girl.' Don't get me wrong I like cats, but I love my 5 dogs.

Smokie flirts with me.

One hundred pounds of fur, paws, tongue & tail T-bone me when I go to walk across the room. His head flips from left to right, ears flapping, back arching, eyes googling up at me.... smooshing himself up against me, he leans. Flirting, this salvaged mutt gives a steady push into me. He flits around... racing head first between m knees and I try to take a step. Behind me, he spins, plies & dives his head once again between me legs. I stop in my tracks & look down, waiting for clearance. He's once again standing between my legs, head flipping, ears flapping & his teeth are chattering. He's smiling. On my backside I can feel the sweep of his tail against my bootie & lower back. He's over the top & he's flirting with me...

The rip of the heavy duty tape-dispenser calls all 5 dogs into the room. Ten eyes are on me. Three heads rest between paws, two heads remain upright...cocking themselves to the left & to the right. Five heads, ten eyeballs... watching my every move.

They're all waiting ever-so-patiently for me to let the cat out of the bag... Two more days until I am divorced & Timmy Toes moves out.

Sweet Revenge... Sweet Peace

I think I was 12 when I decided that I wanted to try out for cheer-leading. I still don't really know why. My family & I had just moved from central Florida to a house in Mississippi on the beach. The world was completely different there.
The try-outs were held at a local Civil War park. Amidst the bronzed cannons & moss-draped oaks were about 40 girls, me & two grown women with whistles.
I knew no-one & everyone else seemed to know each other.
All of us...legs kicking, arms flying, voices echoing...WildCatz Got Dat Feev-ah!
'She too dang skinny'
'Um-hmmm...we hafta troe hur up'
'Unt-uh! She too dang pointay. Take yer eye out or punchur yer lung wit she come down!'
' She ain't gowna make hit.'
'Bedder not.'
'Taint no way.'
I kicked higher, flung further, yelled louder & then, I walked home with my head hanging like a gerber daisy snipped in the morning & lugged around all day.
I told my father about my day & about how if I did make it, I'd like my bony little elbow to bust their lips wide open ... about how I felt like they would be getting just what they deserved.
'Child of Mine...Know This in Life ... Success is the Sweetest Reprisal.'
S U C C E S S I S T H E S W E E T E S T R E P R I S A L .

I wanted to go to college.
'Why?! You need to find a good, hard-working, young man & just settle down! Why waste the money, the time?!'
Well, I wasted the time & the money. I went to college. Through-out my public education I was a C student, at best... college saw me on the Deans' List.

I allowed those words to lead me against the will of the very man who shared that wisdom with me.

'I know I have a degree in Education, but I am going to work for XYZ Company. They have great benefits & I will make more money to pay all these student loans off.'
'What?! But, teaching would be more...noble, more... respectable.'
'Uh, I am going into Corporate Sales, not prostitution.'

Success is the Sweetest Revenge...

'I am going to buy a house!'
'What?! Why?! You don't need to be locked into living there?! You're not married, you don't need this commitment'

Success is the Sweetest Redress... the Sweetest Revenge ... the Sweetest Reprisal.
'I am going to get divorced next week.'
My fathers' words when I wanted to cheer...to have fun.
'I trust you in your decision'
My father never wanted anything other than what he thought was best for me. He never meant to hold me back & he never did.
He did a good job raising me, maybe he doubted himself in that aspect & that's why his aspirations for me were different, I don't know.
But I do know he played football and he played to win.
I was a cheerleader and I cheered for fun.
We defined success differently.
He still calls me defiant, independent, spirited & feisty.
But really I was just listening to him all along...
and I know now that he knows that.
sweet peace.

Fox News

I always wanted to be a news reporter as a kid.
Nearly 30 years ago, 20/20 was my favorite evening program. My peers were into Dallas. While other young girls idolized Farrah Fawcett, I admired Barbara Walters.
I wanted to be on TV.
I wanted to speak right... without the southern drawl.
I was into current events, politics, society, economy, the space program, technological advances & the little people & the vast places & the things that mattered & the things that were going on that would impact the things that would be.
I dreamed of traveling the world over.
I dreamed of uncovering the truth.
I dreamed of making a change.
I wanted to be smart & outspoken & defy all sterotypes of a SLB.
Then, I grew up.
And, I have always been afraid that instead, I would simply make the news in some crazy ass way...



Now as close as I get to the news is Orhan & that seems to work out wonderfully for me.

Well, the henna party has been put on hold...but nope, not me. I figure if I get some practice in now... I'll be pretty darn good at working this henna stuff just in time for when that Henna Party is meant-to-be.

Every reasonable woman armed with Henna should begin with an anklet of naked ladies reaching, stretching, flying around towards the small moon and star. Then she should certainly plant some wildflowers, front & back. Finally, the butterfly should top it all off.
Timmy-toes was even treated to a smiling sunburst. Pic of sunburst is blurry, but it shows the actual Henna, whereas the others show the Henna stain.
Singleton, I'm sending you Henna along with some keepsakes from the Bucket of Paint ;)

Just how many more bottle of beer are on the wall?

Honestly....Love?

Love, Love, Love.
Love. Creating so many questions.
Love. A four letter answer.


Several years ago, when I was engaged at the ripe age of 35, I had numerous people ask me ...'How do you know that he is the one?'... 'How do you know that you should be getting married to him?'...'How do you know that this is what you should be doing?'

Repeatedly, my answer was the same... 'I don't know...but I believe, I think, I feel and I'm acting on that'

The fact of the matter is that I don't know if a plane is going to crash land on my house today & I don't know if just because I feel something, believe in something, have faith in something, am vulnerable to something, if I think something ...I don't know if any of these things make that something real. I just don't know. But, I believe that if I can sense it, see it, feel it, believe it then at least, for that moment in my world ... it is real.

I am willing to fight with the ones I love when I am fighting for the ones I love. I'm not afraid to fight for what is good & true in my eyes.
Other than that, I really prefer peace. Peace.
It's part of my definition of love.
Because of this, it is of my own opinion that I rarely develop long-term friendships, relationships or alliances with people or institutions that don't also escort peace in their life.
Dancing with peace & love are respect and honesty.
I give it & expect it in return. I have never felt a love without it...
not a love for another person,
nor a love of a wild animal,
a natural phenomena,
a food or an idea...
none of them.
All of the things in life that I love, need my respect & honesty (thank goodness, because I love chocolate, coffee, the beach & thunderstorms...and if I did not address these things with respect & honesty, I would simply be a a big, bouncing, gluttonous, rambling belly-ache with third degree burns getting swept away by the first passing hurricane)

Peace & Love
Respect & Honesty

***True Love Only Wants What Is Best For Us*** Amen, Vicci!