Any former Hippies here?

[Henro]

I ask in jest, BUT I guess I am from the hippie generation.

After getting out of the "military" during the Vietnam war era, I decided to travel the world a bit. Did not really let my hair grow that long...but I often wondered what a hippie really was...and still do not know.

I do remember someone I met on a boat going from Taiwan to Japan, I think, saying that some of the group of poor travelers I was hanging out with could not believe I was a veteran.

So maybe I was a pseudo hippie and did not realize it. I can only imagine what hippie fun I missed!

I put the "military" in quotes, as I avoided Vietnam by joining the US Coast Guard. But ended spending a good year in Southeast Asia anyway. But it was in northern Thailand...go figure...good for me, as I could have been assigned to a river boat in Vietnam, which the Coast Guard also were part of.

Any former hippies here that can tell me what I missed?

What triggered this post is that I saw an article on line that referred to the "hippie trail" that I actually followed from Europe to asia back in the day. Never remember meeting a hippie though...just other shoestring travelers...

 

[Tornado]

My brother is a hippie type. I am exact opposite. I think when you speak about "hippies" you have to kind of define what you mean by that. When I think of it I envision people who are more free spirited, typically more extroverted and social, They tend to have a much more loose, open perspective on life. Ideas like living on the road, or out of an RV and just traveling, but not settling down in one place tends to be attractive to a hippie type. I think really it boils down to personality types. (Have you ever studied MBTI personality types?) Certain personality types are more predisposed to have a "hippie" perspective or approach to life.

For myself, I am the exact opposite of what you would consider a hippie. I bought a home at 28 and desired to settle down quickly. I don't like traveling. Not because I don't like seeing new things because I do, but when I think of traveling my mind first thinks of "Driving, crowds, traffic, people, interaction" and It just zaps the fun for me. I am a very introverted INTJ personality type. I am a systems thinker who has a plan for everything. I like things to stay in my plan. My brother who is a hippie would never live how I have. He see's it as boring, lacking adventure, etc. I see it as efficient, controlled, safe, minimized risk. The downside to my way is that my younger brother has seen more and experienced more of the world than I have. He was a drummer in a band, traveled around and played music, went places, experienced things, met people Ill never meet. The downside to his his way is he lives in a little apartment, tends to always drive a crappy used car, has little to his name, has little or no savings, has at times lived in some pretty shabby conditions. I on the other hand bought a house at 28, have excellent credit, lots of savings, lots of safety, I am setting myself up for a very comfortable retirement. I love my brother, but we could not live together or be around each other for long periods of time. He's just too out there for me. His views on things tend to be disconnected in my opinion, with no structure. I think he lives hand to mouth and is always one disaster away from total ruin....But if you met him you would think here is a guy that just loves life. Hugs everyone, loves everybody, nice, very complimentary to people and generous, even when he doesn't have it. My brother is very much so a collectivist who would probably say "we are all in this together so we should help everyone out" I on the other hand, an individualist, would say "I do not depend on you for anything, so you should not depend on me for anything. I tend to myself and stay out of other peoples business I expect the same"

I think personality is the key. If you have studied MBTI then you will have some insight on this. Some personality types are just more free spirited. I see these types as much more likely to be considered a "hippie".

 

[D2Cat]

Here you are Henro, playing with social media again!

 

[DustyRusty]

I am a Bohemian....... Henro, do you remember us?

 

[Hunters gun]

I ask in jest, BUT I guess I am from the hippie generation.

After getting out of the "military" during the Vietnam war era, I decided to travel the world a bit. Did not really let my hair grow that long...but I often wondered what a hippie really was...and still do not know.

I do remember someone I met on a boat going from Taiwan to Japan, I think, saying that some of the group of poor travelers I was hanging out with could not believe I was a veteran.

So maybe I was a pseudo hippie and did not realize it. I can only imagine what hippie fun I missed!

I put the "military" in quotes, as I avoided Vietnam by joining the US Coast Guard. But ended spending a good year in Southeast Asia anyway. But it was in northern Thailand...go figure...good for me, as I could have been assigned to a river boat in Vietnam, which the Coast Guard also were part of.

Any former hippies here that can tell me what I missed?

What triggered this post is that I saw an article on line that referred to the "hippie trail" that I actually followed from Europe to asia back in the day. Never remember meeting a hippie though...just other shoestring travelers...

Thanks for your service to our nation.
Hey, on the lighter side, know why yo have to be at least 6 feet tall to be in the Coast Guard?


So yo can walk to shore if your ship gets sunk!

 

[Steve67]

Yeah I was a Vietnam hippy but still killed my share of gooks. Also smoked a lot of pot with some aussies and Koreans. Had to have some fun while the shit was going down.

 

[skeets]

 

[Henro]

LOVE IT!

"He's an old hippie and he don't know that to do. He just turned 35!..."

Just turned 35?

How about just about turning 75! LOL

I remember that song...nice memory...perhaps an old hippy here times two...though I never thought of myself as being one...

Guess we might not realize what we once were...or even what we are currently...

 

[skeets]

You are right Herno, and I have to say that most everybody I have ever met that was in Indian country doesnt like crowds, or parties with a lot of people, most of us ride or did ride by our selves. And one day, we shall be no more.

 

[RCW]

I was a naive farm boy that started working in the restaurant business "in the big city" at 16.

I learned a lot from some former hippies I worked with....I'll leave it that.....

 

[GreensvilleJay]

the guy who created Woodstock just died this week.....
met an official USA Army draft dodger up near North Bay back in '77....

 

[Daren Todd]

The title reminded me of when the Rainbow festival visited the small town next to where I lived in Vermont.

The festival was on the other side of the mountain I lived on.

So we had quite the influx of hippies through our small town.

I was 16 at the time. So I thought it was funny. My very conservative grandparents though.......

Hippies were getting lost up in the woods though and winding up in random peoples back yards.

There were some interesting outfits as well. One gal dressed up in a sexy jesters outfit. That really added to the town gossip. Almost caused a few car wrecks as well.

That wasn't something you expected to see while on a back mountain road.

 

[leveraddict]

Henro I knew you were smokin them big fatties!

 

[Henro]

Henro I knew you were smokin them big fatties!

Don't smoke...not sure what that refers to...maybe a sign I am outta touch with reality..LOL...but honest...

Edit; But I must admit that once I had the experience to smoke a cigarette. I was amazed at the thickness of the smoke (one puff) and asked the friend (this was in Bangkok, Thailand in 1970, the other guy was Canadian), what is up with this?

Moved along in life a lot since then...lol

First and only experience with tobacco...

 

[Fordtech86]

Don’t think he was talking about tobacco

 

[RCW]

Don’t think he was talking about tobacco

One of the first things a naive redneck farm boy learned in the restaurant biz….will go no further….

That said, at 17-18, I was responsible for the dishwasher crew…11 of them.

I could tell they weren’t happy with me if I grabbed my name tag off the cork board in the dressing room, and the pin of the name tag had a 90 degree bend in it….

 

[Fordtech86]

One of the first things a naive redneck farm boy learned in the restaurant biz….will go no further….

That said, at 17-18, I was responsible for the dishwasher crew…11 of them.

I could tell they weren’t happy with me if I grabbed my name tag off the cork board in the dressing room, and the pin of the name tag had a 90 degree bend in it….

i know nothing

 

[DustyRusty]

A picture is worth

1000 words???

 

[adenello]

I ask in jest, BUT I guess I am from the hippie generation.

After getting out of the "military" during the Vietnam war era, I decided to travel the world a bit. Did not really let my hair grow that long...but I often wondered what a hippie really was...and still do not know.

I do remember someone I met on a boat going from Taiwan to Japan, I think, saying that some of the group of poor travelers I was hanging out with could not believe I was a veteran.

So maybe I was a pseudo hippie and did not realize it. I can only imagine what hippie fun I missed!

I put the "military" in quotes, as I avoided Vietnam by joining the US Coast Guard. But ended spending a good year in Southeast Asia anyway. But it was in northern Thailand...go figure...good for me, as I could have been assigned to a river boat in Vietnam, which the Coast Guard also were part of.

Any former hippies here that can tell me what I missed?

What triggered this post is that I saw an article on line that referred to the "hippie trail" that I actually followed from Europe to asia back in the day. Never remember meeting a hippie though...just other shoestring travelers...

 

[Geezer3d]

I was called a hippie back when I was a teenager. I didn't think of myself as one because I lived at home and actually had a job, but I had the long hair wore colorful clothes.

I live outside of Woodstock, NY now and there are still a few people here who have been life long hippies from the late '60's. Also, I was in Asheville, NC a couple of years ago and there were quite a few young people there who would pass as hippies from the '60's if it weren't for their age. That took me by surprise.