Taking Up For Hippies

To the editor:

There was mention in the opinions that postal service carries in La Grange area were dressed like hippies from the 1960s.

I decided that I will have to take up for hippies. I’ve known more than a few hippies in my short lifetime. I found them, the ones that I crossed paths with, to be extremely kind, gentle and very well-mannered. And, worse, extremely smart.

I do believe as breathing human beings, we all judge and we all stereotype. And, unfortunately, far too fast in our judgemaking minds. I seem to recall that on average, we, society, we make judgements within five seconds. And, though some judgments may be true, many are false judgments. Good news. We cannot keep track of everything.Think about how many times a day we judge ourselves.

I know it was Mother Teresa who said, “if you judge people, you have no time to love them”. Well, what is love? Love is patient and love is kind.

I dress like a hippie from time to time. It empowers me, in my mind, to stave off people. I don’t mind presenting a false impression. I have known a homeless person who was quite wealthy. Talk about false impressions.

If we listen to what people say to us, we can sometimes, just sometimes, understand that person by their judgments. The old adage, “Each time you judge, you help define yourself”.

I think we all wear masks. I think we all present false impressions at one time or another. Can you imagine how it feels to realize a person you thought respected and liked you really couldn’t stand you? I just experienced this recently firsthand. It is a real bummer. I think everybody wants to be liked, feel accepted. And, some of us want to be left alone. I think most important of all we just want to be respected. Attire is so false.

Really? What we wear does not make us. I remember the ole adage, “We can’t judge a book by its cover” I just had to take up for hippies. Not every hippie is a hippie who smokes that funny stuff. Certainly not me. In fact, I’ve known three-piece suit attire gentlemen who smoke funny stuff. Talk about a false impression.

Savannah Helms Round Top-Carmine