Tiny living may be the ideal fit for many baby boomers. This may be especially true for those who participated in or identified with the positive aspects of the hippie movement. This is because the tiny living movement is in many ways an outgrowth of some of the key hippie values.
Had I been old enough, I would have definitely gone to San Francisco during the Summer of Love in 1967. The song, “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)
Like the hippie movement, tiny living is about personal choice, freedom, getting off the grid (renewable energy), earth protection (green living), and community (like-minded people)! It’s also about the beauty of brilliant, innovative designs in small houses, furnishings, decor, and lifestyles. And it’s about love. Love of freedom, love of self-expression, love of simplicity, and love of nature. All of these things are honored, protected, and respected by the power of love.
The tiny living community seems to already have a large number of baby boomers and onetime hippies. Whether they participated in or identified with the hippie movement, it seems to of had an influence on them. I also see it in younger members who I would suspect might have parents, siblings, or relatives who were hippies.
What’s the main difference between the hippie movement and the tiny living movement? You know what it is. Clear heads and conscious living is the difference. And it’s a huge difference. The hippie drug scene started with positive intentions, but it got out of control as we now know that it can. These drugs proved to not deliver on the claims by those who promoted them.
I just can’t help but wonder what might have come out of the hippie culture had there not been such a heavy emphasis on drug use. It wasn’t all bad though. Many people who identify with hippie values went on to do great things. Apparently, Richard Branson and Steve Jobs are two of them. I wonder what Microsoft would have become if Bill Gates had some hippie spirit in him? I would imagine that the tiny living movement (or tiny house movement) was started by someone who was in some way connected to the hippie lifestyle.
As baby boomers head toward retirement, many may want to reinvent their lives by downsizing and joining a community that resembles an unfulfilled dream in their past. I think baby boomers, and particularly those who related to the hippie movement, would provide valuable contributions to the tiny living community.
Join us!
Peace.