Hippies Through the Keyhole

"Hippies" were often Baby Boomer malcontents who passed themselves off as the Peace & Love “flower children” of the 1960s, replacing the “too cool to care” Beatniks of the 1950s.

The label "hippie" was welcomed by a few youths but disdained by most. "Hippie" meant "hip", or "cool" but it also meant "in-the-know" about, not just the latest fashions and fads, but about important issues overlooked or ignored by many older people.

Some "hippies" were just regular kids who entered college as unfocused youths and exited college as vengeful movers and shakers without any real plans for their future or anyone else’s. They gave the rest of us long-haired college students a bad, undeserved name.

Being a "hippie" meant more than just having long hair, wearing beads and listening to sitar music. Being a "hippie" also meant taking a role in the cultural evolution of our country and our world. But, far too often, being a "hippie" was simply a cover for your intense hatred of everything that came before you.

Author's Note: I personally loathed the word "hippie" in the late Sixties and early Seventies because I, too, was a college student with long hair and opinions about many social issues. But I also had realistic goals about my future, a respect for American traditions and a natural affection and loyalty for my parents, grandparents and family. I was also a dedicated student and a hard worker with a part-time job, like many so-called "hippies". Just so you know.