I moved to Vancouver...

... and all I became was an f***ing hippie.
This is the thought that occurred to me yesterday as I fervently argued the pointlessness of labels. Labels such as "in a relationship" or "vegetarian".... and in that case I suppose calling myself a "hippie" is just another form of labeling. It's a vicious cycle, really, and it's incredibly difficult not to be constantly looking for some word to describe yourself.
As university students we have moved beyond the "Are you my mother?" stage and have now entered the "Is this my definition?" level of life. It's no longer about where we come from, but what we are, and my issue is, why do we have to be anything?
Yes, when we fill out applications we are required to "bubble in" the basic facts; marital status, occupation, diet, etc. Why is it that we try to "bubble in" the rest of ourselves? Is there really a point when you love someone to declare to the world (via Facebook of course) that you are "in a relationship"? Some would argue that it shows how committed you are to them, willing to declare love in front of a digital audience, but if there's anything that Hollywood and prime time TV has taught us, is that simply declaring yourself "in a relationship" means nothing. It doesn't stop actors and fictional characters from cheating; what stops someone, even us regular people, from pursuing someone else is that love that we're supposed to declare in the first place. I would rather love someone then be "in a relationship" for that very reason - it is the state you are in, not how you are defined, that matters.
The same thoughts go for anything else, yes, saying that you are vegetarian when people question you about your eating habits is important, but is it not simply the case of you eat what you eat and that's it. People call themselves vegetarians, and in the next breath fantasize over meat. Others may call themselves vegetarians and when questioned why may reply with some compassionate phrase, or that the idea of eating flesh is barbaric. Would it not simply be easier if everyone just had certain dietary habits, instead of fumbling for ways to explain why they were eating what they were?
And it's with that statement that I paused, took a moment to think, and realized I had just regressed to the Age of Aquarius... in the Age of the Starbucks, Google, and Consumerism. Just by moving to Vancouver I have gone from the least likely person to be termed a "hippie" to the most likely to throw pig's blood on fur coats, stage peace protests, and reject everything society deems fit - including my beloved Starbucks. On the bright side, I'm starting to think outside the box, and in the sphere.
And so I say - I moved to Vancouver, and all I became was a f***ing hippie.