To Hip or not to Hip

My neighbor Danielle and I were hanging out this weekend and started to question people’s interpretation of the word Hippie. I told her things I associate with this word is pot growers, smokers, dreadlocks, stinky, Petrolia oil, sloppy dress, and hugging trees. I never even saw someone that met these criteria until I moved to Humboldt County three years ago. Danielle quickly advised me that is not what a true hippie is. She uses words like free spirit, peace seeking, love, chill kind of people. She has lived in Humboldt County for a long time, so I believe her interpretation is correct.  This made me ponder… do our interpretations of people change due to when we encounter them? Do we classify people by stereotypes? Obviously, my answer to the 2^nd question is yes. I called these people hippies because of what they look like. I didn’t grow up in the free love peace sign era. I am making my observations and associating that with what I think a hippie should be. I came to the conclusion that there are lots of actual hippies that grew up during that era that live here. Are the people that are my age, that I am seeing now, newage hippies?  I consider myself to possess many of the characteristics listed… not the stinky, Petrolia oil ones J But, I do believe in sustainability, organic local food, getting in touch with nature, yoga, herbal remedies. So all in all since there is not a clearly defined set of characteristics for this new age hippie. I am starting to think… maybe I’m a hippie too…. Even if its just a little.  I am not associating the word hippie with good things.

Thanks Danielle for making me look at the way I was stereotyping and think different.