For so many people, grouping up and celebrating is seemingly, necessary. There are days like New Years, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo where people simply gather to party. Once a year, right here in Washtenaw County is such a celebration.
Every year, on the first Saturday of April, there is a gathering in Ann Arbor that celebrates liberalism in one of its simplest forms. People get together at the University of Michigan Diag and take out newly purchased glassware and tissue paper to enable their recreational inhalation. People, I speak of a little party called Hash Bash.
This is a party where people gather to burn down, get high, light up and less eloquently, to smoke marijuana. While this may seem outlandish and foolish, these people are simply coming together to hang out with people who have similar interests. While a bit extreme, I could compare this gathering to a basketball game or a fraternity meeting. It is simply the gathering of like minds to grow intellectually and spiritually.
While some may disagree with me, I’m sure the hippies of Hash Bash would probably agree. What else is the point of gathering with several thousand strangers? What would someone have to gain from doing such a thing?
All I can assume is they are trying to make connections to the world around them. They are trying to build relationships with new people in a frame of mind that would allow for people of generally different demeanors to interact. While perhaps not the wisest decision, one could surmise this could be an effective mode of communication transfer.
While the people are important, could they not meet somewhere else, or under a different pretense? What is the importance of the event? Is it the ‘x-factor’ that serves as a catalyst for a span of hours revelry? While under different contexts, I believe the answer to all of these questions is yes.
People can meet individually, but in a setting like this, it can be more natural.
The name Hash Bash doesn’t really represent anything, other than the fact there are going to be a lot of like-minded people in the same place. This enables them, the people, to then feel more relaxed and comfortable about the event.
While this is all speculation, I would have to guess while Hash Bash isn’t an inherently bad thing, it may not be a very good thing either. Although it does promote the unity of a subculture, it also supports a practice that while legal for some, is largely illegal for the rest.
What I’m trying to say is Hash Bash is a good and a bad thing. It brings people together. That is good. The practice promotes unity and peace among people. It also promotes the consumption of an illegal substance.
All-in-all, I say leave the hippies alone. They generally aren’t out to hurt people, and for the most part, they don’t. They just sit and think and move in slow motion. That’s something I think everyone should experience at least once.
