by Ann Atwood

Created on: January 09, 2009   Last Updated: January 19, 2009

CONFESSIONS OF AN OLD HIPPIE

Yep, that's right I'm an old hippie. I admit it. I never lived in a tipi or a commune, but nonetheless I was a hippie. I wore bell bottom jeans, love beads, long hair and tie dyed t shirts. I took part in the peace movement, circled the Pentagon hoping for a "harmonic conversion" and went to many rock concerts. In fact, I recently went to see my guitar hero Eric Clapton for the first time. I was thrilled beyond words.

That was a time in my life I will never forget. Now I'm 65 and I am still a hippie at heart. I long for a return to those times where it didn't matter if wore long hair, if you were short, tall, skinny or fat. You were accepted for who you were, not what you looked like. Money didn't mean much and you helped each other when in distress.

Of course, times were different then. Not like today's society that is self indulgent, superficially obsessed with "beauty", and attached to things. Who can have the biggest "McMansion, the hottest cars and all the gadgets that available to us.

Today's parents are desperate to get their children in the so called best schools to prepare them to get into their college of choice. All for that almighty college degree. They seem to forget that not everyone is college material or don't want to attend an institution of higher learning. What would we do if we didn't have plumbers, electricians, carpenters or other service people. Parental "hovering" prevails from the time their children are born, through school, college and even into the work force. These "helicopter" parents want to have their children protected from every harm imaginable. From disinfecting wipes to washing their children's toys in bleach. Boy, are they suckers for the mass manufacturers. Before any of those disinfecting agents, there was good old fashioned soap and water.

My kids grew up with a sense of adventure. They climbed trees, made forts, rode their bikes, went to camp, had their share of skinned knees, cuts and scrapes. And they did those without constant supervision. Somehow they survived and I'm certain today's children would too if only their parents let them have fun. These kids are in "bubbles" lest any harm come to them. Please don't get me wrong. No one wants to see a child injured or sick and every time one of my children were hurt, it hurt me too.

Somewhere along the line parents have forgotten how to be parents. Was I a perfect parent? No way, and I have yet to meet one. Today's parents read all the "right books"

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>