Eeee my hippie generation.... :P

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

If you are in your mid-50-70-es then you are, like me, a rock'n'roll generation. We grow up listening to Janice, Clapton, Santana, Stones... If we didn't spend 2 days at the Woodstock concert then at least we had an album. We were smoking, reading J. Kerouac's "On the road", camping with friends... we didn't care about material things. We didn't have a kitchen full of electric appliancies and  WIFI - we had HIFI and boxes full of vinyl albums and life was great 🙂

And now, a few decades later, you book my place via Airbnb and complain about the bed, shower, A/C ...and your weekend is ruined without THE proper toaster 😛 You had a 3-month-old beard and a hair up to your but and now you are disgusted if you find one single hair on the floor?!?! Jeez! What happened to you? 😄

Not everyone in the middle age category is a complainer ....but almost all complainers are middle-aged... or older .. and uh, the worst are old married couples 😛

Happy Valentine's day all of you grumpy old hippies, and remember - love is all you need (not a toaster)  🙂

[Robin4]

@Branka-and-Silvia0

Branka, we all mature! I remember one night a group of us guys and a ministers daughter were up behind the water tanks in Springfield and she was running around without a stich of clothing on singing out at the top of her voice...."If you can find me you can.................." !!! We all found her!

That was then, another age, we all grow up, we all mature, we want those things that make us comfortable and feel good, but without the exuberance of youth that we left behind those decades ago! The gut has a definite roll attached to it, those female bits are a lot further south than they used to be and we do get offended by things that never crossed our minds in the mud of Glastonbury! 

Good on you Branka, Do you know one of the major displays in Aldi today was the fresh red rose  section where you could buy everything from a single red rose to a massive bouquet. I bought one for Ade! It is pretty symbolic these days....but she still enjoyed receiving it!

Don't be too hard on us Branka, we might complain about this and that but, in all of us is that little boy wishing he could still be up there behind the water tanks in Springfield!

Cheers.....Rob

[Susan598]

Hey @Robin0 I learned to smoke behind those very water tanks ..... but that's all!!

Sue

[Clara116]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 ME TOO! Janis was my idol.......I'm right there with you........Woodstock - I had to fly (Delta stewardess) and didn't get to go but I  burned my bra and all the pilots thought that was totally hysterical when my roommate told them because I couldn't go to Woodstock  I was protesting! lol

those were the days -------oh my and YES, what's happened?? 

My theory is: 

I suppose its that aging is not so much fun sometimes, and many just hate change. Many our age are left behind with technology blasting and changing so quickly - I fear our generation is often not dealing with it  so well. And sorry, gotta say, many of the  younger generation have their heads in the screen or cloud  so much and so they don't care about the stuff that our generation observes and sees and unfortunately becomes ugly complainers about.

 I dislike that so much and so I must share one story: 

We stayed at place that a young couple (now superhost) should not even be in business  for many reasons BUT, the young folks love em, they drink together, hang out and share technology and so they make the numbers work for them. That experience taught me the difference in our generations and expectations with Airbnb hosting and the generation gap of today! We were very forgiving in the situation (could have had them shut down) but it tested everything in me as a guests/superhost and person in a different generation. I just raised the white flag and used it as a great learning experience. 

I sure miss my bell bottom jeans, tie dyed t shirts and camping months in the back of a van or tent and getting odd jobs to make monies to keep traveling.

And I am still hating wearing this bra thing - gotta a whole lotta love.....!!!!!    Peace, Clara

[Robin4]

@Clara116 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @J-Renato0

Ade and I left a party one night and we flipped a coin to see who was going to drive home...we were each as drunk as each other. We made it, as did all our friends! I so love I grew up in that era when life was simple and it was a treat.

I told this story on another thread, but the thread got closed down as being too raunchy!

Ade and I met on a blind date! A mate of mine was a photographer and he was like all little men....small in stature but big on personality! One night he arranged a blind date dinner for all the singles he knew. Although I was not paired with her, the second I walked the the room and saw Ade, I knew this was the girl for me. I made a point of being close to her all night and by the time the night was over we had a date, and.....the rest is history! That was Saturday September 20th 1969.......

Life was not always easy for us, it was only 6 years into our relationship when Ade developed Multiple Sclerosis! Our girls have never known their mother well. Ade lost her sight a couple of times and, I have to tell you, when you have to wipe someones backside when they go to the toilet, it taxes a relationship! You wonder how much personal diginity one has to forego in this life!

But every morning throughout my entire working life I would leave for work before she woke and I would give her a kiss on the cheek and think how beautiful she looked just lying there!

When you get to this age, memory lane becomes an 8 lane super highway, it is crammed with so many events from the past.....and I love that fact that I have been priviledged to be part of it.

I am just sorry we don't look like that photo any more!

Cheers.....Rob

[Clara116]

@Robin4 oh dear man, what a treasure of memories you have stirred up for yourself and many of us. And your Ade has been blessed to have you and you to have her. You both look wonderful but my guess is sure you'd love to look like that now BUT, the rich life you've shared has made the wrinkles, and aging process something so special that NO ONE can take away and you would never want to trade it. And if the ole brains hold strong those memories are etched in our minds and hearts forever. 

I too do not like what aging has done to the body and for those of us that have truly lived full lives, somehow, I think one of the big challenges is growing older with grace. NOT an easy thing for some of us.

May you and Ade have many more years filled with love, joy and family. 

peace good man and blessings, Clara

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Robin  I love it when you share old stories and pics about you and Ade with us 🙂 Thank you! 

[Sarah977]

@Robin0  You still both look lovely. Older but wiser. And congratulations on your long-lived relationship through the good, the bad, and the ugly. That takes real strength of character.

[Robin4]

@Sarah977

Sarah, I think Ade having MS was one of the best things that could have happened to us.

So many of our generation started off swearing undying love forever, but drifted apart....because it was easy to do so. There seemed to be no permanence in a relationship beyond my parents generation where a couple stayed together through thick or thin.

The thing that struck me when we started going to the support group meetings was....the number of single sufferers...as soon as the partner found out what the problems was, they were off to greener pastures and I vowed and declared, no matter what I would never do that. The MS gave me a backbone! It made me realise there are responsibilities in life you accept and make the best of without compromise....and we have. I wouldn't trade my life Sarah, not for anything! My life has had a sense of purpose, some hard times but, a lot of joy, and I think I have the MS to thank for that! 

Cheers.......Rob

[J-Renato0]

Hello @Branka-and-Silvia0

I have never a been a hippie indeed, but I am amongst the Beatles, R. Stones generation, the begining of the counter culture. And yes, I have the woodstock album, but I was about 12 years old when the festival was going on.  I bougth the album later on. I see the movie woodstock only about 8 or 10 year after. The movie it was forbiden here (in my country) by the military regime that was ruling my county then. But rock in general it was allowed 🙂

As a teenager I used to listen to L Zepplin, B. Sabbath, Nazareth and whatsoever. I still listen to them once in a while, and love AC/DC and J Priest. 

Well, I have notice that, in general, some middle age and elderly  guests are somewhat more difficult to deal with. I completely agree with you. Anyway I have had some (maybe exceptions) middle age and almost elederly guests that was very relaxed and easy going 🙂 

As for the toaster (the english type of toaster), for some guest it is very important. In the same way that electric keetle became a very important thing to some guests. It is almost a cultural thing.

I believe that, some guests prefer having a toaster and electric keetle available (instead of having) to a complete cooker (stove in US) with 4 burners and oven.

Let me know the name of your favourite Croatian rock and roller and I will search it on Y.Tube 🙂

[Ann72]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 I love this post!  Happy Valentine's Day, Happy Galentine's Day to you!

[Emily352]

1969 Peace, love and pot.

2019 Toaster, electrical kettle and sex toys (as welcome kit).

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

hahaahahahahha @Emily352 😄 I can't stop laughing 😄 😄 😄 lol aaaa you are right.... 😄

[Rubén16]

@Emily352@Ann72@Clara116@Robin4  Loved your post @Branka-and-Silvia0 ,  I just had a couple stay for 2 nights they did not use the shower at all, everything was in its place in the shower staw ( they never showered during their stay) and yet they gave ME a 4 star for cleanliness? 🙂

[J-Renato0]

@Rubén16

If they did not use the shower, it maybe a sign that they are hippies! 🙂

It is said that many hippies did not use to take a shower on a daily basis because some of them was always on the road.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/3dgsqz/serious_why_do_hippies_not_bathe_more_importantly...

In the link above, it is said that many of them prefered natural bath. They used to love to bath in lakes, lagoons, water falls and whatsoever that is considered natural.