…is what my grandfather used to say.  He was the son of a Russian Marxist immigrant, a football coach, and history teacher at Hollywood High School. Despite his radically left-wing ideals, when the mid 60′s rolled around he hated the whole hippy movement.  This always confused me, but now tend to agree with him.

Disclaimer: I do yoga, I meditate, a veggie garden is in my backyard, I surf, I add green powders to my food, I’m the son of two college professors, one of whom teaches fiber art, I’ve taken a mushroom vision quest in Sedona, and my friends include people in the surfing world who’s picture should be next to the word “hippy” in the dictionary… I am (gulp) a hippy.

The counter culture movement began with German immigrants, who themselves had a “back to basics” revolution at the turn of the 20th century in reaction to the industrial revolution. Their movement spread state-side after some of them came to California, opening health food stores and nudist colonies. After influencing the Beat generation of the Fifties, the whole thing got blown up and commodified in the sixties and has been a joke ever since.

Here’s my beef: we live in a world that’s completely absurd (gourmet dog food boutiques, breast implants, 100 dollar boardshorts) and to take anything seriously, especially yourself, is ridiculous.  Banging a drum on your farm isn’t going to change anything. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to live on an organic farm. But someday when I’m out there in a drum circle with my cosmic brothers and sisters, I’ll be smiling, not because I’m sending healing vibrations to the world but because I escaped the rat race and can do trippy shit like sit in a circle and bang on things!

Searching for the perfect superfood, yoga routine, and massage oil is awesome but is only possible because we live in a society built on the backs of generations of indigenous people. Saying “no” to bacon isn’t going to change that. We’ve all got blood on our hands! Rather than trying to scrub off the blood, lets all laugh at our situation. Humor kills fear and makes room for change. Saving the whales or some other cute species is great, but we’ve got to start with other humans first. You can’t save other humans when you think the majority of them are toxic, zombie, meat murderers!  Food preference and carbon footprints are not grounds for judging other people…honesty, integrity and compassion are. We’re already a wounded society fractured by cultures, generations and divorce. Deep down we long for a return to tribal existence where love was unconditional and time was abundant, but we’re here… a fact that is both tragic and hilarious at the same time.

None of this is going to change over night but if we can look at each other and laugh, we can strip away the pain that’s got everybody so feeling alone. In the end all want the same shit.  So wipe that “holier than thou” smirk off your face and smile. We are believers not knowers.  Everyday we judge each other on what clothes we wear, what car we drive, etc, but if how “green” you are, or how much organic food you buy becomes more another reason for judgement, then we are part of the problem. Eat real food and grow as much of it as you can. What you put in your body is just fuel to love, create and make. Share a massage, meditate, lay in the sun, go for a surf. Love yourself first, then you’ll have plenty to give. Let’s empower ourselves. Let’s reclaim the hippie movement from the hipsters.

-Mr. Stu Pedasol