When we last left our heros....

the last time i belived in christianity was when i was probably 8 years old, thats when i started doubting things, but i had no direction. then i started to notice that a lot of things werent how you were told they are. Over time, during my teens i supose, i noticed this more and more, the school didnt know what it was doing, the government was full of it, companies are full of it, and the church has forgotten what its doing. For a while i was very depressed. I wasnt trying to be a hippy but i guess i started looking and sounding like one, long shaggy hair, rough jeans, sandals, i even liked tie die, but what got me made fun of and labled even more was my opinions on things. I was beaten up several times for not beliving in god, though i never brought it up, it came up once and from then on people knew and brought it up. I got better at defending myself. I took an interenst in martial arts, which led to eastern philosophy, and eventually studying of buhdism, and Ghandi, passivism, and non-violence. I stoped fighting. I stoped even acting angry when attacked. And just as Ghandi wrote, when i did not turn their hate back on them they noticed something about themselfs, or atleast one did. He stoped the otheres who were with him saying "come on, leave him alone, thats not cool" and that made me smile, someone months earlier had dreamed of torturing for the humilitation and pain hed caused me for no reason, had learned something.
all that was diferent about me is that when something sempt wrong to me i was driven to learn about it more, rather than turn away or attack it, though im still trying to learn to be that way with all things. About a year and a half ago i became a vegitarian, for this same kind of reason, something didnt seem right, and all these people were making fun of vegitarians. So i talked to some, astrocat here on the hipforums primarily, and they had many good reasons, id heard arguments for it already too. All the harm meat does to the planet, and the way those animals are treated.
The hippy movement is about gaining perspective i say. The longer i live it the more i see of the true world, some try to gain perspective through mind expanding drugs, though that is not a way i use i understand it. Some travel, that is more my way. also by reading and observing, any kind of learning. I am no longer sad about life, im rather happy though i see infinitly more problems then i did before, but sadness doesnt help, changing what you can does.

 

right on pablo!!! i agree w/ your underlined statement. becoming my hippy self has been all about perspective, a different perspective on everything. My story... through middle school i was such a lost soul, i had no clue that i was even my own person, you wouldnt have been able to tell me and my whole group of friends back then apart from eachother, we all tried to be exactly like eachother....and it felt so wrong. coming into high school, i went from a private to a public school, and my eyes were opened. i wanted to be me...and i did everything possible to be who ive been created to be. and as i find myself, everything else in this world has been so much more attractive and interesting. ive learned respect and patience and most of all love. I guess all i have to say is to follow what feels right to your heart even if it doesnt always make sense

 

Sam (short for Samantha), Rebecca, and Ranas

 

Well said, Dakota's Mom. and Pablo too (I did not turn the page before I posted)


I am still searching for my old/young self, but it started with my grown kids becoming now, who I was in the 70's. I realized that they were me, and I was them, and I was very proud. I thought I had left my 70's roots, but here they were growing in my kids. I am sorry I ever thought I had to leave my roots, because I didn't have to leave them, if I ever did. So I am searching still, to find my old/young self. I may not ever age if I keep this up. My face may have a few wrinkles, and my head a few grey hairs, but my spirit is like it ever was. namaste

 

have yours got distinct personalities too? mine aren't so bad any more- and they generally reach a consensus but they used to be really bitchy.

 

Sam's the little kid in me. She delights in the simple pleasures, likes everybody, and loves to play. Rebecca's the 'mystical' one, she's more in tune with nature, very motherly, calm, rational, and thinks things through. Ranas is a fighter. I don't know much about her. She's a very latent part of my personality, one I haven't learned enough about yet. Sometimes everyone fights things out, but as they all come together to form me, generally they come to a consensus, though sometimes I end up doing something someone is still griping about.

 

lol, well first, I'd like to say that my first name is Dakota. Really.

Second, i confess that I only recently began to get into the Hippie lifestyle & the counter-culture movemnet of the 60's (about a year ago).
But, throughout my life, I had always noticed that I thought diffrently than my friends, and that my music tastes also differed greatly. I wasn't listening to any classic rock or anything of that sort, I just generally disliked their music. The turning point, you may wonder? One day in 7th grade, this kid says to me, "I wish i had lived during the 60's, so I could of seen Hendrix live." He loaned me his Experience Hendrix album, begining my love of Hendrix's music. I then started finding out about other 60's bands, namely the Doors, the Beatles, and Steppenwolf. Then, I started gettign into the counter-culture movement.

 

Hi Dakota. Glad to meet you. My little Dakota is almost two. (One month from today.) I haven't met a lot of people with that name.

Kathi

 

It's an awesome name, but the oldest person I've ever met with the name was a 10 years old, so I guess i'm one of the first.

 

here here, Dakota's Mom.

Eventually you start finding out what matters in life, in finding yourself and going down that path.

Hate to say it, but devoting time to smoking weed or doing other drugs seems only to be cool when you're like in highschool. (saying this with knowing the risk of getting flamed but nonetheless....) Weed is just a temporary escape from reality.