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Kiddies, when you've seen it all come and go and come around again, you start to be able to pick out the shining pearls of wisdom in there amongst the dreck. I'm absolutely THRILLED to share a cultured strand or two with you, my dear readers.
 Dear Aunt Acid,
Where did all the old hippies go and why does it seem they are dying off like the prehistoric animals?
Inquiring minds need to know....
Dear Inquiring,
The short answers are:
1) Santa Rosa CA, Boulder CO, Boston MA, and a bunch of other places.
2) Because we ARE dyeing off like prehistoric animals. We only live so long, ya know. Even the grass-eaters.
The longer answer is that the nubile longhairs of both genders back circa 1960-1970's when the term "hippies" came about are, 50 years or so later, now in their own 60's and 70's in terms of chronological age. The original "hipsters" and "hepcats" of the preceding decades are also getting fewer and farther between. The good news is that hippies are still here and still happenin'. Some of us can remember not being allowed to go to Woodstock....some of us went anyway. And some of us just heard about it and liked the idea enough to learn a few of the songs. "And its one, two, three what are we fighting for?" is still as interesting a question as when posed by Country Joe and the Fish.
Perhaps you don't notice the hippies around you as much because of the changes we brought into the world of wearables. Previous to the 1950's, only farmhands, cowboys, miners, and other worker in extreme hard conditions wore the canvas trousers made by Mr Lee and Mr. Levi. Then Marlon Brando and other cinema "bad boys" made it a more popular look with movies like "The Wild Ones". (Mr. Brando popularized tshirts as something other than men's underwear as well, but that's another story)
Made of durable woven fabric just like those for ships in de Nime, this "denim" cloth was not cotton but hemp, like the sturdy and long wearing ropes and sails. Cotton rots in wet harsh conditions, but hemp is sturdier stuff and has been used for centuries for the most durable cloth. The word "canvas" is a corruption of the word "cannabis" . Much of the sail cloth was made in Genoa, and the phrase "jeans" comes from that word source. Nowadays, in some countries, cotton is used instead because of legislation and because worn, threadbare, and raggedy jeans are quite fashionable and cotton is much easier to bleach and distress in this way. These frayed, dirty looking brand new trousers are very pricey, and are mostly worn by those who know little about the work that used to result in a pair of pants looking like that on its way to the ragbag.
Now we are more fashionably free, and lots of people wear blue jeans-from babies to billionaires. Lots of men choose not to wear suits and ties, lots of women have found that girdles and high heels might be fun for dress-up, but not for everyday. You can no longer tell at a glance who is part of the "Establishment" and who is choosing fashion defiance. So that blurs the lines of easy recognition. Class standing is no longer so rigidly advertised and enforced by our clothing and hair except of course in the Military and Corporate worlds, and even there some inroads have been made. There are short haired hippies and CEOs with ponytails. The military retains its styles, mostly for practical purposes. Short hair has been safer in combat and easier to keep clean since we started grabbing and smacking each other, and it still is.
And rest assured that even when you do not recognize us at a glance, hippies are still here. Its not a genetic trait, but a lifestyle choice.... and we are here amongst you, spreading our beliefs and finding new participants who believe in the rights and responsibilities of individuals and importance of ethical behavior above temporary monetary profit. Is is not ALL about tie-dye and folk songs... but we have those too. Pete Seeger is still out there singing "This Land Is Your Land... This Land Is My Land!" and he's right. Right On!
Peace and love plus a nod and a wink to all the hippies out there,
Aunt Acid
Have you got a question about jewelry,
beauty, style & fashion, display
and what it all means in context?
What it all USED to mean?
And what might be coming next....
Well, go ahead and ask your questions. Share a piece of your mind!
Aunt Acid has an answer or two she'll be happy to share with you.
Letters To Aunt Acid
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