by Maggie West

Created on: January 22, 2009

In the sixties and early seventies the true hippies did not define themselves as belonging to a subculture of any sort. That's the "establishment" talking!

Oooo, I have goose bumps all over from saying that word again: Establishment, establishment, establishment. Okay, I'm finished now.

It was a state of mind - a way of life.

The Hippie Era was a time of sit-ins, love-ins, anything-ins and the world was forever changed through our existence. It was a time for reflection and speaking out. Not only in coffee houses and bars - like our beatnik predecessors - but in the street, our neighborhoods, on college campuses, department stores, and even on the very doorstep of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And our means with which to do so were not only poems and songs; but rallies, petitions, demonstrations, concerts, and the like. Freedom, love, justice, and peace were at the very forefront of this movement and held up high through our ideals.

There was an upheaval in the sixties; the likes of which, to my thinking, had not been seen for about a century or so (With which my illustrious other-half disagrees; recounting the labor movement of the thirties as the source of his argument. Quarreling, however, between a Scots/Irishman and an Italian/Mexican woman ain't a pretty sight. So, I'll agree to disagree for the moment and continue writing). And the catalyst was multi-fold: Beatle mania, The British Invasion, The Vietnam War, Woodstock, Woman's Lib, and a thunderous attempt to end racism were some of the mechanisms in place. And all were rather significant to my mind.

During these tumultuous times, the hippie was born.

Hippies rubbed against the grain of society, not with it. The very fabric they created was unlike any other: Unique in its design, feel, sight, and taste. The very clothes they wore were testament to their individuality: Naro collars, psychedelic prints, bell bottom pants, halter tops, mini skirts, fringed suede jackets/vests, sandals, and paten-leather shoes/boots, just to name a few. Hairstyles were anything socially undignified: Long, straight, and stringy; braided with flowers, ribbons, or feathers; picked out afros; and short, uncombed - most sporting a bandana and were somewhat strewn. Hippies were similar, yet very different: The uncommon common (a personal term).

Some were more serious than others. Some ate off the land rather than from grocery store shelves (Our modern day organic-minded entrepreneurs, I suspect), while others dabbled in gardening. Usually,

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