Dear Simon,
Meg and I were talking yesterday on the phone, and just before she had to hang up she informed me that you have been wondering if I consider myself to be a "hippie" or perhaps a "mountain woman." She didn't have time for us to have a conversation about it, so I told her I would write the answer in a Dear Simon blog post.
I can't just say "Yes, I consider myself to be a hippie," or "Well, I consider myself to be 55% hippie and 45% mountain woman" because that wouldn't be much of a letter or a blog. So my response will be multi-faceted.
First I want to tell you 3 of the main goals I have for myself for the winter: 1) To learn to safely operate and maintain my new 20 gauge shotgun and hunt turkeys with it 2) to learn how to safely operate and maintain my new Stihl m230 chainsaw 3) to learn how to make crocheted lace.
Next I want to tell you about my current outfit. I am wearing a camo wife beater with olive green "capri pants." I have on ankle socks and some fancy gear head trail shoes. Around my neck is a chunky turquise necklace, and I am sporting matching turquoise earrings. My hair is in 2 long braids. There is no make up on my face.
Now I want to tell you what I did today. I spent several hours dealing with "banking" issues. Then I went and did gardening work for someone in Weaverville. When it started raining lightly I kept working. When it started raining harder I considered myself rained out and left. Then I made some homemade face cream out of calendula oil that I made of flowers I grew. This is sounding kind of hippie.
My friend Sally told me "in your heart you are a hippie, but on the exterior you are a redneck." Then she cracked up.
Before I give you my own final answer I want to tell you that among my top values are: family, friends, community, the earth and all life on it, and humor. I prefer organic food, but I am not above dogging some hot wings at some stupid restaurant. I intend to hunt for food not sport, and I appreciate the beauty of turkeys as much if not more than their nutritional value.
All in all I consider myself a hippie with a "twist." I would love to be a mountain woman, but I don't think I qualify yet. I aspire to qualify some day.
I hope I have succeeded in satsifying your curiosity on this matter.
Your friend and your wife's BFF,
Dana
4 comments:
Thanks Dana. I thought since you had 1st chair flute, how could you be a hippie after that? Meg said you're still an overachiever cause you make tinctures and coonskins and stuff. I've always wanted to go hunting. If I was there I would go with you. But do I understand right that you haven't actually learned to hunt yet? Will that make you more of a hippie or less of one? You know what the Mansons said, you really have to love something to kill it.
Love. Good luck,
SSimon
Don't forget the quintessential flute solo of the hippie rock classic, "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. It doesn't get much more hippie than that. I am taking my hunter safety training course 2 weeks from now. I am hoping to meet my soulmate (he might be in the form of a 13 year old hillybilly boy...) After that I can get my NC hunting license, and then the rest is history (or if you were a feminist hippie- herstory).
i am so utterly amused by this discourse here. smiling and feet off the ground swinging enthusaistically as i read these for the first time (i say that because i'm immediately about to start over and read it all again).
(feet still swinging)
thanks dane.
happy hunting, eliza.
I'm so in love with you. And Simon. And with the turkeys. But I won't kill any of you.
:)
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