If the present is all that matters, then the whole system of time payments, saving money, retirement plans, and life insurance is meaningless. Great effort at undesirable tasks would seem unnecessary when the only satisfaction is future satisfaction. this suggests a prime cause of discontent in modern society. The more future-oriented we become, the more unhappy we will be. Unfortunately, society is very deeply entrenched on its wayward path, and hippiedom is not going to reform it overnight. Perhaps the only successful way is to have isolated pockets of hippie-ism develop at their own speed. As society “progresses” let us hope that its frustrations do not cause too much of an implosion that might destroy whatever freedom has permitted the “flower children” to exist.
Martin Ahrens 