Finding Your Inner Hippie

Mario Savio, Free Speech Movement 1964

I remember more than a year ago, I was back in the job search at home and trying to find where I would fit in the workforce. As it appears, my strategy is to reach out to everyone and anyone in my circles to gather advice, connections, information. Reaching out to my old youth minister and friend, Armando, I recall the topic of public speaking came up at the end of the conversation. I asked him how he became such a good public speaker and if he got nervous. His basic answer was that the only way to get better, is to practice. And isn't that true with most things?

At the time, I dismissed his comment thinking, "Well maybe that worked for him, but if I am going to speak in public I need to take a class, know exactly the best structure for making a speech, and be completely prepared before I even commit to actually making a speech." I halfheartedly looked into taking a speech class at a junior college while simultaneously working three other odd jobs. By the time I had secured a solid job in school administration, the thought of improving my public speaking skills was out of sight, out of mind.

Flower Power

What does all this have to do with what I have been up to in Brazil these past two months? I had a vague idea about what I would be doing in Brazil for nine months before I embarked on this journey. I had a more clear idea after my orientation in Brazil, that as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) I would not be teaching. Rather my job is to assist with the English Without Borders program- whether that is offering help in the classroom, holding language workshops, or sharing a bit about my culture to the students on the UFV campus here in Brazil.

What I didn't know was how much public speaking it would involve. Like I said- out of sight, out of mind.

Now, what does all this have to do with finding your inner hippie? Not until yesterday after I completed giving a lecture on the 1960's hippie culture in the United States did I think about that conversation I had more than a year ago with my friend. I thought, wow I have been public speaking for the past two months here in a variety of settings and in a couple different languages. As anxious I was for the talk to go well, I found the two hours went fast and I actually enjoyed it. From the looks of it, I believe my audience did as well. And just like that, I realized I had conquered a fear here in Brazil. Public speaking.

Summer of Love, 1967

A quote from Richard Rohr comes to mind:  "It is probably the most courageous thing you will ever do to accept that you are just yourself." I agree with my friend Armando that practicing improves public speaking. I would add to his advice that courage to be yourself and show your unique personality in front of a group of people is a large part of your success as well. The clutch here is unique, not perfect. Once I got beyond the fact that I wasn't going to give a "perfect" presentation, I was able to relax and be comfortable being me.

And just like that, I found my inner hippie. Not the hippie mindset of drugs, sex, and rock & roll, which was perhaps taken to an extreme as a means to make a statement against mainstream society. Rather, I found the inner hippie that was so in love with the world and so comfortable in her own skin she could dance freely in a crowd, stand up for flower power (as shown in the picture above) or speak in public. Who knows where this inner hippie will go next!

The title of my talk was a mouthful- Finding Your Inner Hippie: A Glance at the Counter Culture Movement of the 1960's in the United States. But if you wish to take a look at my presentation, click here.