hip·pie
[hip-ee]
noun
a person, especially of the late 1960s, who rejected established institutions and values and sought spontaneity, direct personal relations expressing love, and expanded consciousness, often expressed externally in the wearing of casual, folksy clothing and of beads, headbands, used garments, etc.
I don't really identify with this definition. In fact, I don't ever refer to myself as a hippie. It is a term my husband has lovingly bestowed on me for all of the things I do which he finds weird.
What I do identify with is a person who is seeking to live naturally, treading lightly on the planet, doing more good than harm to those around me, spreading love to those I meet, and being in charge of my own health. It did not start out with big, thought out plans. In fact, this lifestyle began out of a lack of money. When we first were married, we had very, very little. To stretch our meager funds, we learned to cook from scratch, try re-usable things. And then the little ones came along, and I become a natural birth junkie, and a natural parenting junkie. And it all sort of spiraled from there!
Apparently, in order to be in the natural birth world, one must be considered a "hippie", so I believe this is from where my husband's pet name for me stems. But, really, there are MUCH more deeply hippie people that I know out there. I don't even come close to the outer reaches of their circles!
So, here we are many, many years down the road from where we first began. And I've been uprooted from my comfortable "natural" space in Washington State, U.S. and plunked down in the island city-state of Singapore. You can imagine the culture shock here.
My goal, while here in Singapore, is to honor the Singapore lifestyle, while also staying true to my own beliefs and convictions. In so doing, I will be attempting to live as naturally and peacefully as I am able to. Wish me luck!
Apparently, in order to be in the natural birth world, one must be considered a "hippie", so I believe this is from where my husband's pet name for me stems. But, really, there are MUCH more deeply hippie people that I know out there. I don't even come close to the outer reaches of their circles!
So, here we are many, many years down the road from where we first began. And I've been uprooted from my comfortable "natural" space in Washington State, U.S. and plunked down in the island city-state of Singapore. You can imagine the culture shock here.
My goal, while here in Singapore, is to honor the Singapore lifestyle, while also staying true to my own beliefs and convictions. In so doing, I will be attempting to live as naturally and peacefully as I am able to. Wish me luck!
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| We are not in Kansas any more, Toto! |
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