Peace

Fifty years ago, a mass of humanity gathered on the fields of a farmer in upstate New York. It was an area not meant for more than 50,000, much less the estimated half a million plus who did attend. Due to a plethora of snags along the way, the venue organizers (all in their twenties) were woefully unprepared for the hordes of people who made their way to a 3-day music festival of "peace and love." There were no organized gates ready for collecting ticket sales so an announcement had to be made by the organizers, "This will be a free concert." The masses stood on their feet and resoundingly clapped with joy. And the rest is history.

I am old enough to remember bits and pieces of the event. The 60's were turbulent times and political unrest was rampant. The Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and two Kennedys added fuel to the fire. I guess the time was right for a music concert with a lineup of powerhouse bands with a counterculture message. And the flower children were ready to load up their psychedelic vans and VW bugs to make it happen. I suspect many of them didn't have jobs so no worries there.

It is hard to imagine such an event happening today. Many elements have stayed the same such as political unrest, counterculture messages and people's love of music. But a few key components are very different. Today, our cellphones make it almost impossible for folks to attend concerts without the distractions of looking down at their devices, looking up for selfie poses, posting to social media, downloading fun apps and using Google maps for directions to the nearest port-a-potty. Venue ticket sales are primarily completed electronically. Concerts are one means of enjoying music but there is no end of "free" music available to the masses at any given time today. Venue producers and hosts also need to "lawyer up" in preparation for the inevitable lawsuits at the tamest of events. The hippie commune culture essentially failed so we have a few less caftans currently, and eventually, some of the flower children had to get jobs so taxes could be paid to the government that was feeding them. Adults frolicking naked at the nearest river may not be decade specific but an event such as Woodstock certainly was ripe for such activity.

One thing I know for sure, Woodstock was never on my radar. I am not an avid music buff to begin with and the very thought of attending a loose-ended concert in the middle of a field with anti-deodorant folks who love to smoke pot is far beyond my comfort zone. I am also not comfortable in the midst of a teeming sea of people and don't even get me started about dealing with a limited number of port-a-potties. And last, but not least, I do best when I am fed and hydrated at regular intervals. I am not against granola for three days but I prefer a little variety in my diet. I also find dehydration disconcerting at best.

Woodstock was one for the history books and maybe it is good if it stays that way. So, Happy Birthday, Woodstock. May you rest in peace and love.