Apparently Husband and I are hippies. That is according to
the current generation of teenagers and young people.
Teenage Son just came back from a
camp. One of his leaders noticed his earring and asked him how long his ear had
been pierced. He replied that he’d had it done when he was about eight. She
then asked if it had been okay with Husband and me or if he’d had to be
persistent in his request. He told her that we’d let him immediately. She
decided that that made us cool. I’m not really sure how. I’ve just never
subscribed to the bourgeois idea that there is anything wrong with piercings or
outrageous hairstyles. I have to confess, though, that I’m not a huge fan of
mullets. They tend to brand people which is something I don’t like.
On the camp, Teenage Son did a
program in which they talked about the ethics or non-ethics of chocolate. He
went on to spontaneously educate the other campers and some of the leaders
about the Ethical Consumer Guide and which companies were unethical. When asked
about his knowledge he told people about the Footprints Project. Not only were
we then considered cool but hippies, as well.
The summer of love occurred when I
was about four years old. We didn’t live in San Francisco and I don’t really
remember it. My parents, however, were activists. That being the case, I was
exposed to hippies and their ideology. As the hippy era waned and we grew into
the 1970’s I decided I wanted to be a hippy when I grew up. Too bad for me I’d
missed the boat!
I don’t consider myself a hippy; I
don’t believe they exist anymore. I believe they were a group in a moment in
history. However, if anyone wants to consider me one because of Footprints
that’s a compliment I’m prepared to take.
Peace.
Posts
You should consider getting a copy of "An Introduction To Permaculture" and giving it a read. I know for a fact that it's possible to have a zero-net-energy home and if some time and effort is spent in getting the correct property and design... the bills just go away.
ReplyDeleteEverything has changed in the world of permaculture with the advent of cheap automation design and controls. Embedded controllers and basic automation can do an enormous amount of the work and monitor critical systems, freeing the people involved to do the necessary stuff.
What used to be called "homesteading" can now be done in an urban environment to make quite a bit of money, but for the average inhabitant of outer suburbia (with community covenants and draconian zoning regulations) it's better to move to a more rural environment and build according to the site design.
Raised bed gardens, chickens, ducks, fish, goats, sheep, cows.... you can produce virtually all the food you need for your family on about 5 acres or less and have a very peaceful and low-stress quality of life.