Hi! My name is Emilie. I'm twenty years old, and from Pennsylvania USA. Today, my fiance and I were talking about some random things, as randomness happens sometimes in our lives. We found ourselves talking about cars, and he said to me, "And we'll have a volkswagon bus. I always wanted one to be honest, even though they're hippyish." His comment got me to thinking once again (basically summarizing my thoughts below in italics) - Why the "hippie" label? Sure, there's the stereotypes - stereotypicially, hippies wear tie dye and tinted glasses, have long hair, do drugs, and are generally pretty peace loving. But I know from being labeled myself that stereotypes are not the thing to go by..."Hippie", like a lot of other labels, is more than just the stereotypes, I know that. So, I did some exploration. I found my way to this forum from that exploring, and here I am. A little to know about me: I believe violence - physical or emotional (put downs, belittling, etc) - is never the answer, it only complicates matters. Everyone is different...Even groups consist of individuals. If we were all the same, the world would be boring. So, one should never force their views on another, especially by violence. Force is a violence in itself, actually, in my opinion. I believe in love. Love is what makes the world go 'round...So many good things come from it. Joy, also...Happiness and joy are crucial to living. So many are unhappy...Even I was, for the longest time. But I realized... Happiness is not a destination...It's a journey. And so each day, I strive to spread happiness, hope, and joy where I can. I finally realized, the reason I'm living is to make the world a better place. Am I a "hippie"? Call me what you like, but I find labels detrimental, because labels lead to forced conformity in a world of individuals. I am what I am, like what I like, avoid what I don't as much as possible, and do what I feel is right. Simple as that. So hi once again, and I look forward to becoming active on this site! ~ Emilie
Hi Emilie. Welcome to Hipforums. As you can gather, I am just a ghost, but you too will find these forums of great interest and enjoyment.