everything under the sun...

Jessica Lynn Becker (beckerj@uwec.edu)
Fri, 13 Feb 1998 15:19:06 -0600 

Okay, I have quite a few responses to tend to here, so bear with me:

#1-Mattis...thank you for the response.  Thank you also for the Seymour and
Sybil piece.  You'd be amazed as to how much of it actually made sense (in
an immediate fashion, as opposed to me thinking about it for a few hours and
finally getting it).  Bravo!  =)

#2-Helena...Join the club!  I feel your little birthday pains...I myself
entered the world only two weeks before you (18 December 1979).

#3-Hippies...I don't see the hippie movement as a bad thing...yeah, it had
it's problems with drugs and the concept of free love (which also meant
"Whoopee!" free diseases...).  And yes, many of them eventually "sold out"
or died off...but I look back at that movement and part of me wishes I could
have been there.  How often in History have you had a group of people who
have been able to change the country simply by their lifestyle?  How easy is
it to gather 500,000 people together over a 3 day period and not have to
worry about violence spoiling the fun?  (Woodstock)

My parents were too young for the Hippie movement, but they caught the
evolved portion that was evident in the next generation (ever seen Dazed and
Confused?  It shocked me to see how much they could identify with that
movie).  And while I don't agree with many of their parenting methods or
lifestyle choices, I don't believe that their tolerance of my actions makes
them bad parents.  On the contrary, by giving me the reigns (to some degree)
they have allowed me to discover who I am, what I want to be, and how to
control my actions and learn from my consequences.

I was raised in such a fashion that my friends often call me a 'reincarnated
hippie.'  I see nothing bad about it.  While many people I know would be
compelled to act violently in a disagreement and have a hard time accepting
people for who they are, I have grown up to be a fairly well-adusted, laid
back person open to new experiences and ideas.  That was the gist of the
hippie movement.  How is that so hard to see?

#4-Bananafish Gathering...maybe Tim should take a little cross-country
sweep?  Start in New York, take a short pilgrimage to the city limits of
Cornish (but turn back immediately!), swing across the mid-west, and follow
the open road to San Francisco.  (I'll go along for that leg of the trip!)
I realize that New York is a prime place for the gathering, but it would be
interesting to do regional meetings...get a feel for what the ultimate
gathering would be like, one group at a time.  Then everyone would be
represented...of course, to reach those of you in Europe...how about an air
baloon trip around the world?  =)  (Pardon my imagination, it gets a bit
out of control at times)

jessica =)