The Young to Old Hippie FAQ Thread

Why do people oppose men growing long hair? My father used to have long hair, then he decided to "grow up" and cut it. He then went to collage, and after got a job for the governmet. I know it used to be a big thing, but why did it go away?

 

Agree that Kesey's influence was minamalized. It was good introductory piece on hippies. I learned some interesting new things, specifically abouth the life of Leary.

As the shadow of Vietnam is cast over Iraq one can only wonder how long before the draft is once again enacted. I have no faith be it Republican or Democrat. We must do it ourselves if it is going to be done at all.

 

hi! i just have a quick question...hope im posting in the right place anyways my question:
a while ago i came accrosed a websight that said (female) hippies wore both mascara and glitter.....however that just dosent make sence and i only found it in the one place...can anyone shed light on this?(possibly the websight was confusing gypsys and hippies?)

well personally im hopeing for the glitter (although it dosent seem right)...lol its about the only non-hippie thing i wear

 

Hippie's often wore makeup, as they painted their faces and decorated themselves in dayglo paint, glitter and other forms of body art.
I wore mascara because my eyelashes were so blonde they looked odd to me. I was told by a dude that he didn't like makeup, so I told him that was cool with me and that I didn't require him to wear any, but if he wanted to, by all means do so, who was I to tell him he couldn't, or him me. I choose not to wear mascara now because my lashes hit my glasses and leave black specks on them which interfers with my vision. Also it's so fricken HOT in Texas that it melts down your face here and ends up all over your self.
We all have a little vainity in us, we all want to look 'good' and that's ok. That's what makes us Human. It's ok to be Human too as that is what we are here on this plane.
So, Live, Love and be happy, what ever turns you on, as long as it harms none.
Being a hippie is FREEDOM from the hangups that bring you spiritualy down. If you want to wear paint on your body, go for it. It's the FREEDOM of choice that was/is the message.
There was really no set 'uniform' to be hippie. I saw some in longtail coats and top hats. I've seen them in fullblown ball gowns with tiarras, painted to the hilt.
It was FUN, it was panamine, role playing.
We used glitter all over our bodies, there were plenty that just wore paint and nothing else. It was FREEDOM of experssion. It wasnt a hangup, it was fun and sent a message of, ' Yes We Can' .
Makeup is harmless and some body art is fantasticly beautiful. I have my grand children painted every chance I get. They love it. It's fun and it harms none, so why not.
It's what makes you feel good inside. If a little mascara makes you feel more comfortable then wear it. It's your choice. If someone else doesn't like it, then they don't have to wear it. That's their choice too.
If someone 'dictates' what you can wear and not wear to be concidered a hippie, then isnt that Their hangup and not yours and how hip is that anyway, to tell someone how to dress. How free is that.

 

I loved when I lived at Earth Peoples Park and just wore a loin cloth...and of course flowers in my hair.
When I wasn't there I too wore make-up...sometimes taking eyeliner and making a long swirl from the corner of my eyes down to my chin. With dots running through it.

"Freeky deeky" thats my motto...well one of them anyway...

Psychotic reations prevail...

 

Hi Folks-Iam new to this site and really still trying to figure it out-Unfortunately' most people my age (56);were not raised with computers' as I inch along here I would like to say that people are people with or without a label--I grew up in San Francisco and got out of high school the same year as the Summer Of Love-Good Timing!-My friends and I were in the Haight Ashbury from 1965 on-We were there to pick up some weed and check out all the beatniks-WOW! Who are these people?Little by little the population grew ;more cool stores moved in and the people and were all very friendly and smiling as you walked by.This was the best time to actually be in the Haight Ashbury-The music at the Avalon and Fillmore was fantastic and cheap!-For three bucks you could expect to here three bands play damned near all night!-The Dead' Quicksilver and Big Brother were the cities house bands-they played constantly'alot of times for free--At that time acid was everywhere' legal and powerful-Watching the buildings melt was like a hobby lol!-Unfortunately it all had to end sooner or later' after the Summer of Love it got overcrowded and way too popular-For those couple years though the Haight was a very safe' friendly' musical and magical place to be-P.S. My only regrets are that I threw away all the free posters that were givin out at the Avalon and Fillmore-Who would ever think they would someday be worth $$-O'Well-I'm just happy to be alive and well and consider myself a very lucky person and would'nt have missed THAT PARTY for anything-it was also a good education tool about living and loving-Bye Now -Robspace2

 

Hiya, rob! Well to the asylum. Be sure not to 'cheek' your meds. Really pisses off Nurse Ratchet.

Had a friend (he's walking another distance road now) who had a stack of Avalon, Fillmore, and Family Dog posters that was about eight inches thick. Half were Mouse, half were Kelly. He actually met Kelly who autographed a number of them, saying that if Mike ever got the chance to bring the others and he (Kelly) would finish autographing them. Very nice guy. Can you imagine what those posters were worth? Dayum! And all in pristine condition. Have no idea what happened to them.

Anyway, have fun wandering the forums.

 

Hi there LOVINDRUMM-Yes I am a rookie poster here-Not all that great of typer either-So' tell me is there a chatroom here just for us old school party animals? I wouldn't want to really go back there but I did have alot of fun in those daze..I used to live in Salem Ore. right up the block from where they filmed Cuckos Nest-That place is still there and running as a mental hospital but it is so old' that the state may tear it down--I 'd like to talk top people (survivers)of the Avalon and Fillmore--Ya know ;in all my nights spent w/ the Wizard Of Ozz at the Avalon' it was always a safe secure enviroment to do whatever-no violence or fights ever!-There was never big problems at those places. We could all tell that The Dream Was Over; at Altamont Speedway-All that free music' Stones Airplane The Dead; and it turned to tragedy. For me that was the day the music died. But on a happy note; I'm sure we all learned alot about life and the whole idea behind loving and sharing;my eyes were wide open and at the age of 18 I was around older (hippies' beatniks) and found another way to live-ie.without violence-so-thats it for now-your friend Robspace2

 

Rob, this forum is the place for oldsters, but it isn't an exlusive club. The youngins breech the walls. Wouldn't want to keep them out anyway. Who they gonna listen to, Fauxnews? ~shudder~

This place is a shadow of its former self. Lots have left. Other are content to just lurk. When I joined a couple of years ago, the vibe was different, calmer, less antagonistic. Then it got harsher. Like I said, a lot left. Glad you are here. Share those bleary experiences and maybe the lurkers will come out of the shadows and post again. Happy trails.

 

DRUMM--Your time zone is where?-looks like Europe. Am I right? Maybe more old school hippies would come on in if there was a chat room for older people-I entered the chat room and there were alot of young people in there; which is cool; but right now' I'd like to touch bases with any of the folks from the Avaon 1966 and 7-I have alot of funny stories from those daze and as I quit using drugs and alcohol (finally);my memory banks are working overtime. I really thought I did alot of brain damage in those days; but;I think I still have a couple cells to work with thank God. And so now alot of the stuff I did back then is comin back-It was all stored on my mental hard drive for all these years.Fancy that-So-One night about 3 am-I was hitchin home from the Fillmore and a busload of hippies stop and give me a ride-Well; A few miles and a few tokes later' I find myself headin up north with these people. They invited me to their commune in Sonoma Co.-Wheelers Ranch-where I stayed for all 1971-beautiful summertime and the livin was easy. Anyone out there want to help fill in the blanks; feel free to dive right in-To all the young hippies ;it's yer turn-lol-Bye now Robspace2

 

Not quite. A few time zones west of Europe - eastern seaboard, to be precise.

Man, I have no stories. When the Haight was happening, I was ensconced in a rural farming community, twenty miles from what was the largest town around, which isn't to say that anything was happening there. I learned of Woodstock a month after it happened and really didn't come to know what it was all about until the movie came out. Didn't meet my first freak until 1970 when a new family came to town. Then, whoa Nellie, did the kid sprout some hairy wings. The rest, as they say, is... uhm, is.... uh... ... ... ... ... ... ... what was I talking about?

 

I did grow up just outside the city then right into the middle of San Francisco and even though the drugs 'sex and rock and roll was everywhere in the city' it was centered in the Haight. You being from the farm is great-Ya know; I have never spent a whole day at a running farm and would really be out of my element if I was. I know all about the city but nothing about the county; as far as farming' ranching etc. I really don't think the city is a good place to grow up-To many ways too go bad-SO-as soon as the Haight Ashbury party ended in 67'; my friends and I pretty much stayed away from it-It started getting dangerous and bad things started happening-Little by little it' changed; which had to happen anyway-Too many people showed up at the party and too many came empty handed-no money' clothes or shelter. The Diggers fed anyone who needed food-and it was just time to head out of town. My partner and I took our guitars and flute and split to Europe-where we stayed for a year-and thats a whole nother story-The good energy (vibes) and vibes had all but disappered. The main drugs of choice in the beginning were Owsley acid-Mexican ragweed-60$ apound and maybe alittle Red Mountain wine-Then the ugly drugs started comin to town and the smiles and laughter was replaced with gloom and paranoia--Long live the good people of the Haight-you know who you are -and long may you run-Robspace2

 

Hi Eric, this is a 55yr. female young hippie . Your post made perfect sense my friend. You have the ideals and compassion for your fellow man and mother earth. You share the thougnts and concerns of the old hippie movement. You are definitely a hippie at heart. Hang in there Eric, stay true to your beliefs. Remember that LIFE IS LOVE. Maybe your generation can succeed in finishing what we all tried to start. 'BAN THE BOMB' GIVE PEACE A CHANCE MAKE LOVE NOT WAR PEACE 'WHAT IF THEY HAD A WAR AND NOBODY CAME?' Peace and love to you.

 

Man, we need some diggers now, Rob.

From here.
Digger Bread
(Made With Love)

Digger Bread was immediately recognizable for the shape of the one- and two-pound coffee cans that the Diggers used to bake it. I interviewed Walt Reynolds who introduced baking to the Diggers. (Some day, I hope to transcribe that interview and put it here.) Walt told me the story of Grey, the Mad Baker, a metaphor of the sixties. The guy flipped out with his day job in a suburban mall bakery, and one morning the police found him naked, throwing dollar bills and flour into the air by his mixing bowls. He only wanted to make bread, but the business angle was too much to handle. He called Walt and told him to take away the equipment. Walt had come to the Haight and hooked up with the All Saints Church group of Diggers. He used the church kitchen to teach the Diggers how to bake whole wheat bread. Fifteen years later, when I was doing non-violence trainings, we got a hold of the church for one of our sessions in preparation for occupying the Livermore Labs. I went into the kitchen and there were those beautiful ovens that the Diggers had used.

Walt told me that the Diggers were responsible for the advent of whole wheat into the hippie/counterculture. This is a remarkable assertion. I would like to know more about this hypothesis. If anyone has done any research along these lines, "sign in please." The book Appetite for Change: how the counterculture took on the food industry, by Warren J. Belasco, certainly attributes an important role to the Diggers. However, I don't know if anyone has specifically shown that digger bread was the first instance of using whole wheat bread (and actually proselytizing for it as demonstrated in the following leaflet).

This leaflet was two-sided, 8-1/2" by 11". I found it in my collection after Ramon Sender sent me an email message requesting any information about recipes for digger bread. I had remembered seeing at least this leaflet (and perhaps others) so went searching. This leaflet was in one of my un-cataloged folders, with a date that indicated when I acquired it but not where. One of these days, I must ask IR to see that collection I put together and left behind so precipitously when I moved out of the commune. Until then, I have to use the xerox copies that are fading after twenty years.

Enjoy this leaflet, which is just as current today as 25 years ago. If someone was interested in setting up a Free Bakery, here are the instructions. The only things you'd need to change would be the wholesalers who aren't around anymore (Oh's only closed in the past few years, I live two blocks from Mission Street.)

Most inspiring quote from this leaflet:

Please take this recipe home and start making bread. The only stipulation is that you always give it away.(emphasis mine)

Free Bread

This is the recipe for the bread that is made in coffee cans at the Free Bakery. The Bakery is at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1350 Waller, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. on. For information or to make donations, call Mary McClain, 362-6374, or Father Harris at the Church, 621-1862. Contributions can be mailed to Father Harris at 1350 Waller.

We get our flour in 100-lb sacks from several sources. The first we try is Whitman's Salvage, 1350 Egbert, Hunter's Point. They sell flour from damaged sacks, very cheaply. Then, if they don't have the whole-wheat flour we use, we go to two wholesale places: Fisher's Flouring Mills, 1566 Carroll, and Coast-Dakota, 1588 Carroll (two blocks from Whitman's). Another place that sells flour in 100-lb sacks, but retail, and open on Saturday's, is Oh's (California Direct Importing Co.), 2651 Mission at 23rd. Finally, many whole grains and special mixes are available at the Food Mill, 3033 MacArthur, Oakland (near Fruitvale). Some grains can be found at health food stores such as Far Fetched Foods (1915 Page, SF) and Sunset Health Foods (9th Avenue, SF). We also use quantities of dry milk, brown sugar, honey, molasses, margarine, jam, and tea. These things can be bought cheaply at Whitman's, Big Bonus (Howard St. near 7th or Potrero Hill)), or Co-op on Third St. near Paul Ave.

We bake in 2-lb coffee cans and sometimes 1-lb cans. This recipe makes one loaf in the 2-lb can and two in the 1-lb cans.

WET MIXTURE:

2-1/2 cups warm water (not over 85 degrees - it it's too hot it will kill the yeast, which can survive at freezing but not at high temperatures)
1 cake or package of yeast (this is still enough if recipe is doubled, tripled)
1 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon sugar, honey, molasses (more may be added, or some of each - we like to use molasses because it's so rich in minerals and vitamins)
This can be mixed in your 1-lb coffee can - 2 cups water fills it to the middle line.

Let the wet mix stand while preparing the dry ingredients.

DRY MIXTURE:

1 level 1-lb coffee can whole-wheat flour, or 4 cups
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry milk

MIXING THE TWO: In a large bowl mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Let the dough stand in the bowl until it rises by half, about two hours. The bowl should be put in a warm place, such as over the pilot light on top of your stove, and it should be covered. Again, too much heat will kill the yeast, but at about 80 degrees it is at peak activity.

THEN KNEAD (see below), drop into a greased coffee can - the 2-lb can takes 2-1/2 lbs dough, the 1-lb can about 1-1/4 lbs - after shaping the dough into a ball making sure no flour is on the surface. Let rise again until it's just getting to the top of the can, about 45 min.

BAKE at 390 degrees for the 1-lb can, 55 minutes; or 400 degrees for the 2-lb can for 60 minutes. Oven should be preheated.

KNEADING AND GLUTEN: This is what bread is all about. Yeast is not necessary for bread (macrobiotic and many other kinds of bread, especially Middle Eastern and Indian, do not contain yeast) but kneading, which causes gluten to develop, is. Gluten is a protein substance contained in the grain and released by milling and increased by kneading. It is elastic (same root as glue) and makes the fibers of dough able to stretch without breaking; these stretched fibers make little pockets to hold in bubbles of gas formed by the action of the yeast, and thus the bread rises. If yeast is not used, you still notice that kneading changes the character of the dough, makes it "breadlike" and not crumbly.

HOW TO KNEAD: Turn out the dough after it has risen two hours in the bowl onto a floured surface. Work it with the heels of your hands, pushing and stretching it. Keep just enough flour on the board and your hands to prevent sticking. Push at it until it begins to push back - in other words until it has developed gluten and gets elastic. Keep on until it doesn't stick any more, looks shiny, stretches without breaking when you pull it apart, holds the indentation made when you poke your finger in, instead of closing up on it. Caution: several of these tests can be passed by dough that has had too much flour added. Keep the dough soft, adding only enough flour to prevent sticking. But it may take another 3/4 cup of flour in the kneading, depending on the kind of flour you used, etc. The whole thing should take 10 to 15 minutes.

NOTE ON FLOUR: The freshest flour makes the best bread. Besides tasting best, it has more gluten. You can mill the grain yourself if you have an electric coffee grinder. It comes out slightly coarse, with all the wheat germ in it (commercial flour has the oily wheat germ removed because it can go rancid if it is stored for a long time) and needs very little kneading because of the high gluten content.

Whole wheat flour will make a loaf of bread without any additions. Coarsely-ground flours, such as stone ground, can be used for all the flour in a loaf but unless they are very fresh they don't develop quite as much gluten and so are often mixed with a fine-ground wheat flour. Rye flour hardly has any gluten at all, so must be mixed in order to rise. White flour, or bleached whole-wheat, is not allowed for Free Bread.

We generally put in one or two of several additions: wheat germ, soy flour (high in protein), various kinds of meals. You can experiment, starting out with perhaps 1/4 to 1/3 by weight of germ, other flours, meals. And then there are raisins, other kinds of fruit, honey, and so on.

Milk: If you use regular milk, scald it first (bring it to a boil) to kill bacteria, then cool to lukewarm (so it won't kill the yeast). Be sure to change it to a wet ingredient and adjust proportions accordingly.

Please take this recipe home and start making bread. The only stipulation is that you always give it away.

If you wish to start your own bakery, here is the recipe for twelve loaves. At the Bakery we mix up about ten or twelve of these batches during the day, keeping two ovens going with loads of twelve loaves coming out every half hour.

WET MIX:

6 quarts water (80 degrees)
1/5 pound yeast
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar

Molasses, if you have it, is added to wet mix.

Alternative for at least 5 batches: Mix 1 pound yeast with 10 quarts water, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar. Take 2 quarts of this yeast water for every batch, adding 4 quarts lukewarm water.

DRY MIX:

15 lbs flour (5 2-lb coffee cans or 3 Co-op 5-lb sacks)
1 lb sugar (3-1/2 cups)
1 lb dry milk (3 cups)
6 heaping T salt

Substitute other flours, meals here. Brown sugar works fine. Wheat germ too. 2 cans of substitutions for the flour is about right.

Let rise in the mixing container (we use plastic garbage pails) for two hours (same as for small recipe), then get in 5 or 6 friends to help knead. We use a scale to weigh the finished balls of dough (2-1/2 or 1-1/4 lbs) to be dropped in the cans. Rising and baking times the same as for small recipe.

 

Good post Drumm-When I lived at Wheeler Ranch; we ate lots of that bread-seemed there was always someone baking it up.The man Ramone in the story was one of the good people who put Morningstar and Wheeler Ranch together-one of the first settlers and artists to move from The Haight to the country-Him Bill Wheeler' Lou Gotlieb and a few others made open land a reality-get some wood' build a "house" and enjoy the fresh air' country livin and all your newfound friends. Great escape from the city-fer sher!-I am so glad there was a place to go; to get out of the city' a great alternative. So-Drumm-Have you been to SF ever;' if so when and how was it? Robspace2

 

No, rob, I haven't been further west than San Antonio since I came back from being born in Alaska back when it was a lowly territory.

 

You might want to consider takin a tour of San Francisco sometime-It really is a beautiful place as far as big cities go--If you do come out west; rent a car or drive out and head down 101-through Big Surr-great camping-right on the ocean cliffs-bring a camera!--I live 10 miles from Portland Ore. and it is also a big city with a small town feel-and very green-I just found the Green Peace isp-if you sign up; they plant a tree in your name and send you a certificate to hang on the wall-I think because a big percentage of their money goes to ecology projects; it would be a real good way to access the net. why keep givin the big isp's and Bill Gates all our money?-Greenpeace scares our government; just because they want to save our natural resources rather then exploit them -You being from beautiful' Alaska know what this all could become if not stopped-We could be turning Alaska into another South American rainforest disaster-All the young and old folks should get involved to stop this destruction before it's too late. When I was a kid we could safely swim in the lakes and rivers-not now-not even the beautiful Colombia River right here is safe to swim in anymore.This has too stop-Electric vehicles should be made cheap and available to everyone-the combustion engine has ruined the air-anyway-Hope you make it out here some day-it really is a very beautiful part of the world (so far)--by now Robspace2

 

Hey Rob, so nice to hear someone else that lived thru the whole movement era. We always had lots of hippies come up to Toronto from haight /Ashbury, as you know we all travelled aound back then. When life was safer. Thanks so much for sharing your memories with all of us here. I sure enjoyed them...it was great read. It sparked of more memories for me. I had forgotten about the Diggers.They were mostly draft dodgers who shared so much with all of us young hippies. If anyone was ever on a bad trip, they could definitely depend on the Diggers to bring them out of it. Such awesome people they were. If any of you ever read this..........Thanks so much Diggers from all the young hippies you helped in Yorkville Village in toronto Canada in the sixties.

 

Thanks Sam-I really am amazed at times to think I would still be around this long-When Jimi' Janis' and Morrison all passed; I just knew I was next!-Life is a strange and funny' wonderful thing.Lots of surprises. Losing Chet Helms was sad;as I had a whole lotta fun at his Avalon Ballroom parties.No pressure and he made people feel relaxed and right at home. And that's hard to do with total strangers in the middle of a big city. Between him and Bill Graham; San Francisco rocked it's ass off in 66'and 7-The list of bands those guys brought in is a long one-Pink Floyds first US tour started at the Fillmore-same with John Mayall' Cream' Yardbirds'Led Zepplin and many more-The people and the music at that time were the best thing about the whole scene. People grooved together and shared stuff-a community-it was nice-of course there were bad things at times; but not many-I fell off a cable car on acid one night-goin up Powell-wow-that was very dangerous/funny-!-sittin in the middle of the tracks watching buildings and windows melt-lol-I was very close to heading up there to Canada; but I got a shrink who kept me here-best 50.00$ I ever spent! And when America came together to tell the White House to stop the war-they had to listen-and that is probably what it will take again-it really is Deja Vu all over again-bye now Robspace2

 

Deja vu all over again - it's strange (or not so much so) that you say that, rob. It's the name of a new John Fogerty tune. I enjoyed the grace of seeing him live recently. What power he still possesses! If you get a chance to see him, jump.

DEJA VU (ALL OVER AGAIN)

Did you hear 'em talkin' 'bout it on the radio
Did you try to read the writing on the wall
Did that voice inside you say I've heard it all before
It's like Deja Vu all over again

Day by day I hear the voices rising
Started with a whisper like it did before
Day by day we count the dead and dying
Ship the bodies home while the networks all keep score

Did you hear 'em talkin' 'bout it on the radio
Could your eyes believe the writing on the wall
Did that voice inside you say I've heard it all before
It's like Deja Vu all over again

One by one I see the old ghosts rising
Stumblin' 'cross Big Muddy
Where the light gets dim
Day after day another Momma's crying
She's lost her precious child
To a war that has no end

Did you hear 'em talkin' 'bout it on the radio
Did you stop to read the writing at The Wall
Did that voice inside you say
I've seen this all before
It's like Deja Vu all over again
It's like Deja Vu all over again

John Fogerty
©2004 Cody River Music / ASCAP