I wore my hippie status proudly, even defiantly, willing to risk everything for a chance to live from my better self.

What we didn’t know was that Utopia, in its Greek roots, meant nowhere. Barely adept as couples, we were now joined as family; eating, bathing, working, birthing and dreaming together.  “Love one another” is a great concept until you try it, especially in tight quarters with no exit from annoying habits or characters flaws.   Men struggled with dominance, their alpha-dog genetics in conflict with our new communal ethic.  For women, it was the opposite. We had thrown away our bras and embraced our strength.  Now we were shackled again, feminists dependent on the strong bodies and wilderness skills of our men.

Did we fail?  The measure is not the duration of our community or our challenges, but to what degree we rode the rapids of the pent-up need for change in western society.

My hope, like any storyteller, is to entertain and transport you while passing on the stories of our tribe. If you are lucky, you will become a part of something larger. I know I did.