hannah

Hippie Chick Hannah

In 1967, a movement called, the Summer of Love took over the youth of America. But first lets backtrack to right after World War II ended. During this time America was the richest nation in the world. With it being the wealthiest nation many ideas about the ways of living changed. One of the changes was that neighborhoods became more suburbanized. With this change, adults became focused on commercialized items and technological advances. These changes brought about the competition between the Soviet Union and America. America and the Soviet Union were competing for power over the world, which involved spreading their ideas. America believed in Capitalism and the Soviet Union believed in Communism. If America wanted to be the most powerful nation they needed to stop Communism and spread the ideas of Capitalism.
 * Introduction: The Summer of Love**

During this time was when America’s youth started to look deeper into the new ideas of America. They wondered if adults main concern should be money, power, commercialism and technology. These ideas were the ideas of the people in the counterculture. The counterculture was a group who went against the traditional ways of living. These young adults decided to do something that had never been done before, which was to start a movement in Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. Close to a hundred thousand young adults went to this movement. The people who went to San Francisco were against the normal traditional ways of life and supported changing the world’s views, by bringing in aspects of love and peace. This movement that took place that summer became known as the Summer of Love and would forever change the youth of America.


 * The entries below are journal entries that I was able to write within the past year. I kept my journal close to me at all times because it was a way for me to express everything that was going on in my life. This past year has been the most important year of my life because it is what led up to me leaving home at a young age and seeing the everlasting effects that the Summer of Love has had.

December 30, 1967 Today is my 18th birthday. I am starting a new chapter in my young life, which over joys me. Although, I’m excited it is also hard for me to enjoy it when so many terrible things are going on. It seems like my generation is the only ones that can see our nation is crumbling. However, according to my parents, along with my teachers at school our nation has never been so strong. Why is our nation so strong? It is because we are the richest nation in the world. I can already see the effects that money is having on our nation. One effect it is having is it is changing society and bringing new ways of living. An example of a new way of living is the new community called, Levittown. Levittown is a new community that is in the suburbs. I see new homes being built everyday and I can’t help but notice that each one resembles the other one. I fear that one day America will all be the same. Another effect money is having on our nation is that it is tearing it apart. Because of the power that money brings we are now competing against the Soviet Union to become the most powerful nation, as well as to spread the ideas of capitalism.

**

My father just came home from his job at the hospital. I decided to wait for him to sit down and have his nightly drink, in his favorite chair before asking him about Americas quest to spread capitalism. He explained the situation to me but when I asked why we were fighting for power when everyone should be equal, he just laughed. He told me not to worry my pretty little head with things like that and just to focus on going to my prestigious college next year. I tried to listen to him but I just couldn’t. For the rest of the day I kept asking myself, if money, power and technology only bring controversy between other nations why not result to leading a more peaceful, equal, simpler way of life?

According to every adult around me money is power. But what is the point of power if it only applies to certain people? And by certain people I mean a particular race. Although, 3 years ago the Civil Rights act was past by Congress I am still constantly seeing some of my African American friends being treating unfairly, due to their race. The Civil Rights act states that racial segregation in schools, workplaces and public places is illegal. Although this act was put into effect some places still do not obeyed by it. I feel so badly for my friends who are being treating unfairly but there is not much I can do because I am white. For example, today I went to my favorite restaurants with some of my friends after school. It didn’t even cross my mind that maybe some of my friends wouldn’t be allowed in. Once we stepped into the restaurant they were immediately stared at, as if they were a different species. After being stared at my friends, who were African American were asked to leave. They were not even asked but told to leave. I felt so bad because I had no idea this would happen. I had seen other African American’s in the restaurant before. The restaurant shouldn’t be able to pick and choose which African Americans are allowed to eat there and, and which aren’t.
 * January 2, 1967

I can’t focus on my homework. It is bothering me how racism is still an issue but yet I, along with my peers are supposed to believe that America is the most powerful nation and the world will be a better place once its ideas spread. Homework seems so minor compared to what is going on in America right now. With racism and poverty growing for African Americans America we will never be successful. I just wish that other people, like adults and the government could see this. **



Today at school there was rumor going around. The rumor was that there would be a place for my friends and I, to go who believe in the idea of the counterculture. I asked some of my other friends from different schools and they said they heard the same thing. One friend told me close to a hundred thousand people, who all share the same idea, are going to gather in one place. This idea sounds so amazing to me. I can’t help but think about what an impact a movement like this would have on our nation. Millions of people coming together, from all over the nation and who all share the same ideas. The counterculture is simply my peers and I’s vision of changing the world. Most adults would find this idea funny because they believe that the world doesn’t need changing. They believe that we are on the right path as a nation. The counterculture not only believes in changing the nation but changing it in a way that is calm, loving and peaceful. **
 * January 7, 1967

I am experiencing a life-changing event at this very moment. Within this past week I have traveled across the country to San Francisco. It turns out that the movement that was rumored to be happening was true. When I heard that it was actually happening, my friends and I quickly packed up our things, said goodbye to our families and traveled together to San Francisco. We are staying in a neighbored, called Haight Ashbury. Haight Ashbury is completely different then what I’m used to because its communal living. I am living with thousands of other people. All of these people are from all over the world, none of whom I have met before this. Although, I have never met any of these people I feel like I have known them my entire life. In a way we are like one big family. We all share the same interests, are here for the same reasons and if we don’t agree we settle things peacefully. Not only do we believe in the same things like free love, but we also share food and resources. Back home I was forced to believe that free love was a negative idea. My parents often told me, free love was for promiscuous women or young adults who weren’t serious about building a family. Now I know that’s not true at all. In fact it is the exact opposite. Free love is simply the belief that a person’s sexual relationships should not be controlled by the government or confined by certain guidelines. This is because it is that person’s relationship to worry about and no one else’s. Who is the government to step in a control someone’s personal relationships? **
 * January 14, 1967

When I first arrived I was shocked because not only are there millions of people here, but they are also all around my same age. The people here believe in the ideas of the counterculture. Although everyone believes in the same ideas, there are some people who just came to experience the music and drugs that the movement is providing. Drugs are something new to me because they weren’t very popular back home. Most of the people here do acid and grass. I don’t understand what all of the talk about this drug use is. I’d be interested to experience what it feels like being under the influence of these drugs.



Today I did LSD for the first time, also referred to as acid. It was like nothing I had ever done or experienced before. I was so nervous but once I did it I realized that it opened my mind up to a completely new way of thinking. For once I wasn’t worried about the inequalities that the world had, the war, or culture. Everyone around me was on it, as well. We all decided to walk to the concert, where the Grateful Dead was performing. They are an amazing rock band. All of the new rock bands that had been performing during the movement were amazing because it was so easy to relate to them. The bands believed in the same things we did. I was on LSD at the time of the show, so it was even more amazing then it usually would have been. Everyone was so happy and in the moment. As the show goes on though I can hardly see straight. Everything is blending into one big mess. I can’t help but wonder how better the world would be if everyone did drugs. Peace man!
 * January 15, 1967**

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**March 3, 1968**
 * It’s been over a year now since I went to the Summer of Love in San Francisco. Nothing has been the same since that summer. After that short time the counterculture became more about tripping on acid then actually spreading the ideas that we once felt so strongly about. My best friend, Joyce has never been the same since that summer. Before the movement we were so similar in the way that education was very important to us. Now she has lot all motivation. Although when I ask her what she believes in she expresses the ideas of the counterculture, but really it isn’t the ideas she loves but the drugs it comes with. This is because with the Summer of Love, came addiction.

After that summer I returned home but my family wouldn’t take me back because of all of the things they had heard happened that summer. Now I am living in California with one of my only friends who is still sober. We struggle to pay rent because really I was way to young when I moved out on my own. Although I’m struggling I am still working to express my ideas on the nation. I am doing this by working at a local newspaper, with people who haven’t let the fun of that summer overtake their lives, and are still focused on the original ideas everyone once believed like peace, love and equality. **