So...You think you're Bohemian
by Lyle Dagnen
Let me begin this little conversation with an observation; most people only think they're Bohemian. The mindset is just not there and most likely it will never be there. A true Bohemian, regardless of outside appearance, has to be possessed of a mind that is open to the world and all of its foibles, brilliance, darkness, light, change, permanence, humor, sadness, joy, superstition, knowledge, and anything else one can imagine. When that mindset is present, then Bohemian is one of the things that the individual can become; it will happen without having to think about it one teeny tiny little bit. Being Bohemian was a difficult physical appearance for me to acquire, since I was born into a family of the most un-Bohemian people on the face of the earth. I knew -50-
from and early age my thinking didn't fit into the family. Once I was old enough to be considered as having an opinion of my own and being allowed to express the opinion at family gatherings, I found my pronouncements met with a wall of stoned silence and stares. After being verbally accosted for expressing said opinions, I learned to keep my mouth shut. Then there was the physical appearance thing. I was dressed in the most conservative and standard kind of clothes. When I say dressed, I refer to the clothes I was allowed to wear. I asked about different styles, but was informed that that was not what I would like. I had my doubts, but I wasn't the one sewing at the time or spending the money for clothes. An example: I wanted my dresses hemmed
