Let your hippy out!

When I was younger, I had this weird obsession with hippies! Anyone that looked a bit different intrigued me!

I used to go to our local town on a Saturday morning with my sister and parents, and there was always at least one table on the high street, full of pictures of half bald rabbits and tortured monkeys, with some sort of petition going! The people ‘manning’ those tables were usually ‘hippies’. You know, dreadlocks, piercings, tie-dye clothes etc. I’m not sure what first grabbed my attention, the gruesome photos (I was a weird kid! Actually, that never changed! Haha!) Or the hippies!

I decided that when I ‘grew up’ I’d become a hippie! I’d definitely have piercings! I used to wear this fake ‘ring’ that you’d clip onto the nose/ear/lip etc. It was a must have for me! One day I’d fancy having my ‘nose pierced’ and the next I’d fancy my lip being pierced! I’d just pop on the ring and I was good to go!

My dad would often wear clothing that could be a little ‘hippy-ish’! Tie-dye etc. I liked it! (Although his style would change years later!)

I remember making a friendship bracelet for myself that reminded me of something a hippie would wear, and so I named it my ‘junkie’. My dad was slightly horrified at that, and proceeded to tell me what a junkie was! 😂😂😂

When I was in my teens I decided to get my belly button pierced. No one in my school had it done and I liked that! (Not that I got it done for those reasons!) My sister also decided to get one too! My mum and dad took us out, and my mum went in with my sister whilst my dad came in with me. I remember looking at the piercer, and seeing that he’d stretched his earlobe so that you could see through it! That intrigued me too! Anyway, after a while, my belly button started rejecting the piercing so eventually I had to take the bar out. I was really gutted about this! By this point, it seemed everyone had it done and yet I was literally the only one that didn’t! It almost felt like I’d been kicked out of something I had started! Haha! So then I decided I wanted to get a tattoo, they’re more longer lasting after all! (I did however have 8 piercings at one point which I was pretty pleased about!)

I was 16 when I declared I wanted a tattoo, obviously too young to get one so my mum made me wait! As soon  as I could, I went to a tattooist and chose one right there! A big black tribal tattoo on my lower back! I’m not sure what made me get that one! It’s not exactly something I’d chose now! BUT I don’t regret it! It’s a part of me, and there’s the story behind it…it was fueled by a teenage passion!! Since then I’ve said I’d get another one done….I’m 32 now and still only have that one tattoo! 🙈

I feel like I’m not being ‘true’ to myself! Somewhere along the line, things changed. I stopped thinking about hippies. Life got in the way of me having more tattoo’s. Children and bills came along so paying for things like tat’s became impossible! Birthday money ended up being spent on clothes for myself rather than the tattoo I had planned. I also became more aware of myself. What did others actually think of me? Would I be judged?

I hate this fact. At this point in my life, I really do try and care less about what others think. I need to do things that make me happy and not worry about others opinions. I’ve always felt a little inspired those people that clearly don’t care what others think! Amy Winehouse for example. I wouldn’t personally want her style, but I’m happy that she felt that she could look like that because it was what she wanted! Beehive hairdo!? Why not!? And if you watch ‘The X-Factor’ you’ll have seen the doll lady! (In case you have no idea, a lady that regards herself as a real life doll! Dresses and acts like one!) I love the fact she feels that comfortable with her own image! Good on her! We should all be like that! (Put that dolls dress down!!! I didn’t mean literally!!!) We shouldn’t care what others think! We are all individuals, it’s about time we started acting like it!

I work with a really lovely young lady called Emily. She’s a little ‘kooky’. I like it! She’s not afraid and that’s great! We need to be more like Emily!

We had a conversation about this, about how we suppress ourselves. (Me in particular!) And she came out with “let your hippy out”! She’s right you know! I need to. There’s a hippy in me right now, screaming to get out! I reckon we all suppress ourselves at some point and it’s not good! I’m starting with little steps…..I’m thinking of getting my nose pierced! Eeek!!! (I’m bloody indecisive and VERY good at talking myself out of things….so this may take some time!!) But I do really want to get it done!

Last Friday, the lovely Emily told be she’d made me something…..she handed me a gift and told me she’d made it for me. Well I don’t do ‘touchy-feely’ but I gave her a little hug and a kiss on the cheek! Before I’d even opened it I was extremely thankful and touched that she’d gone out of her way to give me a gift. And she’d also taken the time and trouble to make me it!! How lovely is that!? So I opened it, and it was a little see through glass frame, with the words:

“let your hippy out”

How great is that!? I’ve not decorated my house properly yet but I’ve got plans for my dining room! I shall decorate that room and make it my own little heaven and then I shall hang up Emily’s gift! It’ll fit right in! It’ll be a lovely reminder for me, every time i look at it, to stop suppressing the real me! What an amazing gift to receive! 💕💗  I think we could all learn a lesson from Emily’s wise words…..