When conservatives start ranting about those damned liberal hippies, I notice that the phrase “love beads” isn’t too far behind.
I was born after the 1960s, so my liberal elders will have to forgive me for asking this question:
What are love beads?
And my conservative elders will have to explain to me:
What’s so wrong with them?
Love beads were usually hand-made with small painted wooden balls (or decorative glass beads, hammered metal discs, or pukka shells, for example) tied in a lei-like string of jute or sisal and worn about the neck (over tied dyed, or fringed clothing as an accoutrement of the “hippy” set – those carefree, change the world, peace-love-dope, anti-war, anti-conventional work, anti-establishment people that listened to “alternative” music like Hendrix, the Beatles, and the Stones and wanted no part of the Vietnam War America that was fashionable at the time.
As you can see, those of the conservative persuasion would naturally be very offended, afraid, conflicted, affronted, put out, and dismissive of these hedonists for all the status quo reasons to keep society in line.
Not to worry, they sold these kids the whole package, including the drugs, music, clothing and lifestyles, cashed in and moved on to become todays corporate execs., police, and financial barrons, while the hippies either sold-out, dropped out, died, were jailed, went through withdrawal and overcame their old ways to become workers, parents, and also some corporate people, politicians and professors (they got on with their lives).
I was born in ’67 — always felt I got the short end of the stick for being born 10 years too late. I was lucky enough for Yule to receive from my mother her lovebeads from that heady era. I remembered fondling them as a small child. I found myself drawn to the Rosary for the memory of the sound of those beads clicking against each other whilst chanting Om Mani Padme Hum. Or maybe it was Hare Krishna. As for me, I’ll be wearing them with my tie-dyes. My folks “got on with their lives.” I, however, am now an unrepentant hippie. There are plenty of us, and we ain’t all graybeards, either.
Peace.
the thought of love beads… i was never happy about being labeled a “hippie”. but, i guess, i was. i thought it was such a light wieght term and we were so heavy. i certainly had my share of love beads (and long hair and bell bottoms and tie dyed t-shirts and ear rings , the whole sha-bang). at one time i wore at least ten strands of beads, so, if my polotics weren’t really that heavy, my beads were. my favorite was a bear tooth necklace that i wore with some distinction and contradiction (love beads and bear hunting don’t quite jive, philosophically speaking). tom is quite right, we all found utopia just out of reach and the reality that life required work; with a job, a home and family came responsibility and the love beads went into the box of youthful memories. i’m still all for peace and stuff, i just protest from a distance, sans jewelry.