Of Happy Hippiness March 11, 2009
Posted by Jen in : Writing Bits , trackbackI was tagged a while ago to do a meme; to tell you a list of secrets about myself. The thing is, I haven’t really got any secrets – not because I’m particularly virtuous but simply because I can never never remember what any of them are. So there’s sort of no point, is there? Let’s see, shall we?
‘She cast her eyes down, a slight smile teasing her lips as a blush crept across her cheek. It was clear to anyone that she was a girl with a secret, or would be if only she had the presence of mind to actually hold onto a thought for more than 17 seconds…’
No, it’s a bit lacking, isn’t it? But one thing I generally don’t tell people is that I’m something of a closet hippy. No, I don’t mean that all the clothes in my closet (Good Lord, I’m turning into an American!) are made from hemp and dyed with the leaves of organic nettles. But, well, I do have some funny beliefs.
Some time ago, before I counted cows and typed things about bits of grass for a living, I worked as a Reiki healer. I’d spend ages sniffing oils and choosing just the right whale music and lighting candles and smiling serenely. As a job, though, it was hopeless as I couldn’t bear to actually charge anyone. I was also rubbish at sending them home after their appointment and would end up listening for hours to their emotional outpourings and cooking them lunch.
As the torments of real life took over, I got a proper job: the levitating, meditating and tofu sarnies had to stop. But I still have some funny beliefs. One of these is that I really, truly, deeply believe that if I see a deer, something really brilliant will happen. A portent, you know? Yesterday, in the woods, there was much rustling. ‘A deer!’ I squeaked, in a silent, only-in-my-head-in-case-anyone-hears-me sort of way. And I decided I would tell you about my weird hippy belief. And I wondered what yesterday’s deer meant, what it signaled. But I did not see the deer. And I decided that a rustling of leaves could not be considered a portent of amazingness and I wouldn’t tell you about it after all. But it was a deer and d’you know how I know? Because I saw it today. It stood on the path and looked right at me. But I can’t tell you what the amazing thing that will happen is… Not because it’s a secret, but because I don’t know yet.
Is it just me? Or do other people hold these beliefs? Do you have a ‘sign’, a ‘special something’ that signals good or bad? You can tell me… I’m great at keeping secrets…
Edited to add: Two ducks just shouted at me! QUAAAAAACK! Just like that, as they flew over my head. ‘What is it’?’ I asked (but only in my head just in case etc) ‘What is the Special Something?’ And you know what? They didn’t tell me…
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Hmmm, signs? Well, I’m definitely a bit of a hippy. Or is that a slob? Anyway whatever it is, it’s fairly well covered up. But no, I don’t thinkI have anything I believe to be a sign. Please do tell us when you find out what the amazing thing is.
Who cast who downwards? I’m confused!
I’m not big on signs, either. Except pub signs, they usually signal something good.
JJ – You are not a slob! Hippy is the new black, I’m quite sure of it.
Queenie – Ah. Changed the post for the purposes of sense-making. And added missing word. I suppose it helps if I type all the words that my sentence contained in my Brian rather than just a selection?!
I’m not a hippy as such, as I don’t believe in crystals, water-divining and all that mbj. I do own the odd Steve Hillage album though, does that count?
Not sure what you mean by “signs”, but whenever I see a tractor I think of you!
I confess I’m extremely cynical about ‘hairy fairy things’ (as I use to call them). It’s not that I don’t want to believe; I’m just a suspicious person and need to ‘feel it’ first.
It might surprise you my father was rather a spiritual person, and in addition to things like Tai Chi he was also a Reiki Master. Not surprisingly I use to take this with the smallest pinch of salt possible, until one day in 2002.
Caroline and I were preparing for our holiday and with cases packed messing around in the impending excitement of our departure, I lifted her and spun her round and suddenly “crack” – my back went. Admittedly I’m a bit of wimp but the pain was truly harsh and ended up face down on the floor unable to move.
Understandably I’m distraught, how am I going to get on a plane in 2.5 hours now? Suddenly (unexpected as he travelled a lot) my Dad walked past the window. Use to my stressed panicky states he clamed me down and suggested he did some Reiki on me, needless to say the response wasn’t favorable but he begged me to let him try.
Long story short? I was on the way to the airport 20 minutes later, I have no explanation what/when/why, but I was. I can quite believe just the fact my Dad was there had some positive mental impact on me, but I certainly have more time for “hairy fairy things” these days
I truly believe that whenever I change the Wallpaper on my PC (not the peeling flowery kind, last seen on my gran’s bedroom wall) I hear a bit of good news.
For God’s sake don’t tell anyone that, they’ll have me locked up.
I love deers, and occasionally see one while out walking Molly
)
I have to confess … or is it proudly announce? I too am a hippy (in camouflage). I’d grow my hair long again, if it wasn’t for that annoying middlely bit between smart & spiky-short, and lush & sweeping, like that chappie from Coast.
I also have enough pretentious Progressive Rock LPs to plaster large sections of the Dark Side of the Moon. Some might even contain trace elements of 30 year old residues of, ahem … substances.
Anyhow, much as I enjoy tie-dye and the pleasing fashion statement of harmless rebellion it projected, I struggle to make a belief system out of oils and random encounters with furry or feathered beasts. Not that they’re not loverly as a massage (oils) or well cooked (beasts).
Yes, I am a steely hard-hearted rationalist – meanie brute that I am. {Suddenly I’m feeling like a theatrical villain with a Moh-ha-ha-ha laugh}.
So I’m suspecting the Deer would rather you didn’t sneak up on her like that, and has sent her Duck Stuka squadron on a Quack Attack. But you obviously didn’t get it. They’re probably wondering how portents does one woman need?
{Moh-ha-ha-ha!}
Ah, you’re just nuts! But not to worry eh? The deer was probably goregous anyway.
Having said that, my mum believed a bird in the house was a portent of bad news, and one visited just the day before my dad died – actually looked straight at him and chirruped. So why shouldn’t your deer mean good news?
I seem to recall mentioning my lucky sign once before. Not a visual sign but an audible one. Whenever I unexpectedly hear the song “Rose Garden” good news usually comes soon afterwards. Was it you, Jen, who thought Johnny Cash was the one who recorded it?
A deer nearly ran into my car once. it would’ve totalled it if it hadn’t veered off at the last minute.
What would that have meant, hmmmm??????
Weirdly, it was just round the corner from the metro centre.
I don’t have any superstitions like that. I used to think one magpie was bad luck, but I see so many single magpies and bad things rarely happen that I’ve stopped believing that.
Does it count that if I don’t kiss D immediately before we part, I’m terrified one of us will die before we get a chance? If he nips down to the shop or something without coming to say bye and give me a kiss I freak, a little. Not that I actually tell him that. But he knows me well enough by now that he rarely does so.
That totally counts, doesn’t it. *resigns herself to being slightly cuckoo*
I once had a hippy skirt. And when I send paper submissions out I use lucky paperclips. I haven’t found a way to do this with email subs yet.
Nah I don’t have any…I think it must be because I am far too boring and unimaganitive. I could do with a lucky something that would get me through the rest of the week, somethign i could use from about Wednesday onwards!
“I was also rubbish at sending them home after their appointment and would end up listening for hours to their emotional outpourings and cooking them lunch. ”
This made me laugh VERY loud. Jen, I believe that deer was sent to tell you some day you will publish a VERY funny book. You heard it here first. Fx
The more I work as a therapist, the less of a hippy I become. Strange that. Or maybe I am just well camoflaged by fellow hippies and would stick out an old english mile amongst corporate types?
Turning this upside down, I am wondering what meaning the deer is making of seeing a beautiful healer turned hilarious writer. Did the deer die and return as a duck and if so, what was he before that? Incidentally, I don’t believe in reincarnation, but Caprice does, so it must be true.
And what meaning is there in your writing of cows and grass? Is there some yearning to be a shaman?
I believe! I’d be heartily cheered by the sight of a deer in the morning (but also concerned for it’s welfare as I live near a v busy road). I have all sorts of signs and portents which get me through each day. I’m not a hippy though.
I thought it was very rude of the ducks not to be more explicit, btw.
Oh deer! Oh deer! Tofu sarnies!
I’ve a sign it be called the “sign of our times” The end is near. Oh deer! Where would be that witty writer who promised to play my word game. So Ms Hippy, get hoppy and jump over and play Thirteen Knockers.
Opportunity knocks
TFx
I’ve never heard that about a deer, but like the idea.
I love seeing ducks fly, though I doubt that means anything much.
I hope the brilliant thing happens soon. Maybe Saturday afternoonish?;-)
Or maybe something even amazinger will happen?:-)
I think many writerly people have more than a touch of the hippie about them/us. My sis refers to mine as my bohemian tendencies, whatever that means. Never thought of making a living out of it, though!
Let me see, signs and portents… Can’t think of any. Except the itchy right palm meaning money a-coming in. But then I forget all about it so I can’t say if it works.
My husband maintains that if he sees a Norwegian Volkswagen camper van, something bad will happen. No, I don’t understand why either.
I believe in signs too. My old mum does very rude ones when driving. ‘Don’t bloody thank me then.’ She accompanies this with a sign.
Over run with deer here. A muntjac breathed in through the dining room window, where we sleep in our little shack. I sometimes see a white one. I believe that he is God. He could be couldn’t he?
Voted for you.
Cap’n Black – Tractors! Oh, dear oh dear, I sometimes wonder at the folly of having told you about the ‘agricultural incident’… Steve Hillage? He sounds quite rural, doesn’t he? Off I go to iTunes…
Ian – Ooooooh, the power of Reiki strikes again! I used to be massively sceptical until a seriously awesome mending of some torn ligaments & broken bones in my foot… I’d been hobbling about for months after the stupid GP told me it was fine… I finally caved in and went for Reiki (my neighbour forced me!). I woke up that night for my small-hours wee (ugh, TMI sorry!) then got back into bed. I’d had the MOST disturbing dream that these people had taken me away, telling me that they’d show me what a sore ankle was all about and had forcibly broken both my ankles and bandaged them up. Eeeeeeeeeeek. But as I lay there in the dark, it occurred to me that I hadn’t hobbled to the loo at all… and I swear it was fine for months until I finally went to have some physio to fix the last of the bruising. Weird eh? Oooooooh…
Karen – pc wallpaper? Ok, that IS quite a weird one…
Bobo – Camouflage Hippy, ah the title of this week’s story perhaps? How many portents does one women need indeed. Oh, ok, it made me laugh.
Honeysuckle – Nuts?! NUTS?! Aw, bless your heart, thank you
Pat – No, it wasn’t me… but that’s a fabulous title for a ’song as a sign’. Will investigate that along with Cap’n Black’s…
B – Aw, a kiss to keep each other safe. That’s not cuckoo, that’s adorable. As for the deer… I actually did have my car written off by a deer… see? I still believe though. Now that’s cuckoo, wouldn’t you say?
Helen – Please, please tell me that your hippy skirt had those little bits of mirror on it?
DJ – A Wednesday Wonder sounds like a god idea. I shall have a look on eBay for you.
Fionnuala – Aw! I don’t think deer can read though?
Hullaballooooo – What a brilliant comment you did write, all glittering with oddness. I think I might love you.
Tam – Sounds as if your portents have been working wonders for you lately. I’m still smiling at your fabulous news. Yay!
TF – TF sarnies rather than tofu then? Just for you. I was too late or your knockers. Oh, that’s something I’ve never typed before!
Debs – Ducks rarely fly, they don’t seem cut out for it somehow? But you know what happens when pigs fly, don’t you? The price of bacon goes up! (Boom boom, old ones are the best etc.)
Lane – That was quite good, the Saturday, but didn’t live up to the Amazingness that I foresee. But I haven’t fallen over for a while so maybe it’s a gradual drip-feed of non-divviness that the deer foretells?
Liane – Bohemian is SUCH a good word. Yes, much better than hippy. Itchy hand, oh yes, I believe that one too!
Loth – Your hubs sounds quite deliciously potty. Well done on choosing him!
Fia – You are funny. I do those signs too, it’s nice to be a bit mean with the safety of distance! A white deer… oh, yes, I saw one of those once. He stood absolutely still and watched me walk… when I came back half an hour later, he was still there. The dog didn’t seem to notice him so yes, I think you’re right. He was God. Am glad he’s visited you too.
you were lucky not to die! and you are totes mental. as i believe cap’n b said recently….
Hares. I have the same thing about hares. And they turn up at surprising moments. Of course I don’t really believe in such things. Actually it’s about time I saw one again, it being March and all, and now I’ve thought about it I may well do…
Hi Jen, I’m a secret hippy, too. Which is a bugger when choosing what to wear, so I end up with a combo of smart, casual and hippy that just makes me look like a shambles! But, I just made a lavender wheat bag for a GP friend, and it worked on easing her neck pain. And, have put dried hops flowers and lavender in my bedroom, which has given Mr T and I two good nights’ sleep so far. Perhaps I’ll be a herbalist when I grow up?!
I don’t have signs as such, but try to remember that all things pass and all things have a reason, and often feel ‘looked after’ though I’m deffo not religeous. This has helped recently, when I was quite angry at someone – I know that I don’t have to do anything, and they will get their ‘Come-Uppance.’ Is that mean of me?
i liked this post. ^_^
do update.
B – Totes mental sounds a bit Latin, which prolly means I’m clever, no?
Lucy – Hares, ooh, that sounds suitably signy. I must go find out the difference between a hare and a rabbit now. Thank goodness for the interweb!
T&C – Ha! Smart/casual/hippy is a good look, especially if you smell of lavender. Come-uppance is a good, karmic thing – and you’re not mean at all. I like it when Karma bites people on the bum.
Al – Thankyouverymuch!