Hippies Essay, Research Paper

“Runaway” – Amy Arias 8th grade Mrs. Zdanowich’s Language Arts Per. 7 & 8

“Sunshine, it’s time to depart and go to the Spot,” said Daisy, impatiently.

“I have to pick up Savanna and Dopher, then I will be there,” I replied. I am Sunshine, in case you didn’t know. Daisy, Savanna, and Dopher, along with Lei and Chrism, are my roommates in a two-bedroom mobile home. We are hippies that left our homes in Southern California and are now living outside of San Fransico with flowers in our hair.

“All right, Sunshine, peace out,” Daisy said as she was leaving. “Don’t be late or Chrism will get mad.”

“Peace,” I said, holding up two fingers. Where did I put my Indian rug and my candles, I wondered. Maybe it’s in the guys room . . . It was and I was off driving in our lime-colored Volkswagen van. I had to go to the wharf to pick up Savanna and Dopher, then across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Spot. The Spot is this place right when you get off the bridge where tourists go to see San Francisco from a distance. We go there to meditate. It’s very peaceful there.

“It’s about time that you got here,” said Chrism, calmly. “I was worried that Lazy Dream and Sweet Grass were after you again.”

Chrism knows Lazy Dream and Sweet Grass have been sweet one I for a while now. Lazy Dream and Sweet Grass are some hippies we used to live with on Hatt-Ashberry Street, where all the hippies live. We had problems with them, (well, just look at their names), and we moved out.

“Everyone, let’s get into our power flower circle, and meditate,” Chrism ordered. He always leads us to find our inner soul by relaxation . . . and lots of aroma therapy.

“I call to my saviors, my Angelo, for peace and hope. There should be no more fights, and more hugs,” he called. He always starts the meditation.

“I call to my saviors to make things blossom here, let the stars shine on us and send happiness,” called Savanna. The rest of the group called their hopes. I was always last.

” I call to my saviors to love peace, and favor peace, and not war,” I called. A half hour later, the meditation was over, and everyone sat there talking.

“Didn’t Lazy Dream call yesterday, Sunshine?” asked Dopher. “He along with everyone else on Hatt-Ashberry is protesting on stupid stuff.”

“They want us to go to D.C. to protest on nuclear weapons,” I answered. I don’t like it when they put me on the spot.

Dopher looked at me, ” They are all evil, like Johnson.”

” Really, Dopher? ” yelled a familiar voice. It was Lazy Dream, standing right across from Dopher. I didn’t hear them coming because of their moccasins. Sweet Grass was with lazy Dream. She was a very rude hippy, like the one who burns their bras. She looked like she was in a bad mood.

“Chrism,” said Sweet Grass in a dazed way, “our lives won’t get better unless you join us in our protest. We are plan on sleeping in from of the terrible, I mean, government buildings until they arrest us,” she continued. I was getting sick of looking at Sweet Grass.

“Sometimes I wonder what goes on in your mind,” I yelled, “why would you go to D.C.? For what, more spit stains on your clothes?”

“Sunny, lighten up my day, will ya? ” Lazy Dream said. I got so sick. I threw up! “Just watch out.” That was the last time I heard Lazy Dream’s voice. . . .

A week later, everyone was at home getting ready to go out for the night. The radio was on. All of a sudden, a special report interrupted my favorite Celtic song.

“We interrupt this broadcast for a special report. Around 7 p.m. yesterday, about six protesters vandalized the White House property. The protesters wrote with henna ink on the sidewalk “HATE HATT-ASHBERRY, LOVE CHRISM AND THE REST . . . PEACE”

“WHAT?!?” yelled Chrism. ” Everyone come here now!”

“Officials have reason to suspect that the suspects are residing in San Francisco. The San Francisco Police are now looking for these criminals . . . ”

“I bet you it was Lazy Dream who is behind this!” exclaimed Chrism.

“We can’t stay here. The pigs could have warrants out for us. There’s only one ‘Chrism’ in this town,” Daisy said, sounding very scared. I was too.

“Let’s leave. I don’t want to stay,” said Dopher. An hour later, we were gone.

Where do we go? I thought to myself. Anywhere we go, we are gonna have to go through Hatt-Ashberry, and everyone there hates us as it is.

“We’ll just leave the city, and go into the woods,” directed Chrism. ” Just be careful when driving, lots of bumps and trees on that road.

So there we were, cruising in our Volkswagen, with no particular destination in mind, just “out of here.” What if they searched the woods and found us? What would happen to us? How did Lazy Dream—

“WATCH OUT!” yelled Daisy and Savanna. After I heard that, I grew sleepy . . .

“Oh my, I didn’t know. Sunshine, Daisy, Chrism, wake up, dude.” mumbled a familiar voice.

“Hmm, what happened?” I asked. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel something running down my face.

“Sunshine. Thank goodness you are all right!” that voice said again.

“What happened? Who’s there?” asked Lei.

“It’s . . . It’s I, uh, Lazy Dream,” he answered.

“Lazy Dream, what happened?” I asked.

“Well, you guys crashed into a tree next to my campsite,” he answered.

“What made you do what you did to us” yell Daisy, weakly?

“Oh, uh, well, I was sort of mad at you guys, and I had to do something, man,” Lazy Dream said.

“YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT!” yelled all the guys. I guess they were felling al a lot better than us chicks are right now.

” I was mad at you guys for leaving me at Hatt-Ashberry. Everyone there was upset. I did that I did to get back at you,” Lazy Dream replied.

“Are you going to go to the pigs?” Chrism asked.

“Why, they are not after me, they are after you.”

“You framed us, man, that is so messed,” replied Savanna. “On top of that, you practically crashed our van!”

All of a sudden, everyone saw flashing lights. I knew, as well as everyone else, that this was one time, where we couldn’t run away.

Three weeks later was our trial. They tried all seven of us together, Chrism, Daisy, Savanna, Lei, Dopher, Lazy Dream, and me. Everyone, except Lazy Dream, pleaded not guiltily. Chrism, and Dopher had a shocked look on their faces when he pleaded. At that moment, I knew that there was a good person deep down inside of that Lazy Dream. He was put in jail for six months, and the rest of us were set free. I felt sorry for Lazy Dream, though. We had history together.

It has been two weeks since we got out of jail. I have been thinking about what I am going to do with myself, a lot. I decided to visit Lazy Dream.

“Why would you want to go and visit HIM?” asked Daisy, “look at what he did to us,” pointing to the scars on hers and Lei’s body, who was laying right next to her.

“I’m tired of running away All of you are always talking about peace and happiness. We practically started another Vietnam War here in San Fransico!” I was finally standing up for myself. And I was proud. I was so glad to leave the house that afternoon.

“Sunshine, hey, how’s it going?” Lazy Dream asked. He didn’t look to hot.

“It’s okay, I guess. I came here to see you and thank you for what you have done for me.” I started to cry. I was so happy.

“Sunshine, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t call me Sunshine, please. Call me Allison.”

“Allison?”

“I’m going home to San Diego, Lazy Dream. With my parents. I’m tired of being a hippy. I finally found out what was wrong in my life.”

“So, your real name is Allison! It is really beautiful, for a beautiful face like yours. I guess we both have been thinking a lot lately. Allison, call me Matt.”

“Matt? You look like a Matt.” Really, he did.

“Yeah, well, I am going home, too, when I get out of here. In Los Angeles.”

Matt and Allison. Pretty weird. I never spoke to Chrism, Dopher, Lei, Daisy, or Savanna, after our fight. I had run to them and left me family, who I knew loved me very much. I had been a runaway hippy for five, long, years. They pulled away from reality. Truth is, everywhere there are arguments, but that is not a reason to run away from your problems. They will just mingle there until you see that they are still in your shadow. same thing with the war. I couldn’t do anything about Johnson stopping the war. I guess I used that for an excuse. Steve and I are doing fine together, yes together. And I have never been happier in my life. Peace.