The neo-Yippie – An Urban Salad

The modern amalgamation of a hippie and a yuppie – the Yippie. (but different from the classic Yippie)

It’s the young urban professional with the hippie conscience. He (or she) doesn’t habitually wear Birkenstocks. They can work for environmental conservation, but prefer to do so in a manner that supports a career, a profession. They know how to hacky-sack, and smoke pot – but only on weekends.

I came across (and was once called) this special term during my years in Vancouver. The neighborhood’s called Kitslano, and it’s home to many a neo-yippie. By now those yippies have probably moved on to full family status, and have kids to bring to hockey practice. But we, the next gen, carry on the yippie torch. Or maybe you’re just a yuppie, but like to think you’re environmentally friendly. So be it.

The new Yippies plant trees, for money. Mostly. We don’t dance in the rain and stomp in muddy puddles in protest of war. We blog and vote our protest, and we discuss our ideas over Gin and Tonics. We know the value of technology and information. We don’t really put ourselves out there, but we’re certainly distrusting of ugly politics.

It’s not all ‘generational’; it’s that we like our comfort, and may see the world like a hippie would.