50th anniversary of Woodstock Aug 15-17

[left-of-center2012]

Woodstock Music & Art Fair, a landmark festival held on August 15–17, 1969, in Bethel, New York.

It seems like yesterday !

OK, not really, and I wasn’t there, although it was during my ‘hippie daze’.
At the time I was working/living in Hartford, CT, sharing an apartment with four coworkers/friends of mine.

One of my roommates did go. I don’t recall what he had to say about it afterward.
I was so busy with work and school that I didn’t pay much attention to it.
I did see the movie some years later.

Did you go?
Do you know anyone who went?
Do you wish you had gone?
Do you know what the heck I’m talking about?

[NNadir]

1. I've come to see it somewhat differently than the way it was "experienced" for many years.

We were a troubling generation; sybaritic, self absorbed, but quite willing to make statements about peace and love we clearly didn't believe.

In many ways, this event presaged what we would become.

I often say that "history will not forgive us, nor should it."

[left-of-center2012]

2. self absorbed?

Protested against the Vietnam War and for civil rights.

[NNadir]

4. I saw people in my generation who applauded wars in Iraq as if they were fun...

...who elected Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, George W. Bush and the orange pig in the White House because they were concerned about their "taxes."

My demographic, often despised, and often despised correctly, is "old, fat, bald, white man." Many of those people at Woodstock have become precisely that, representatives of the demographic which is routinely derided as obscene.

We turned into consumers and were quite willing to consume endlessly with no regard for future generations and, in our time as adults, focused purely on sound bite reality.

We wasted many years, of course, on sex, drugs and rock and roll when we could have been doing far better things.

Like I said, I feel differently. I believe that history should not, and will not, forgive us.

[Harker]

8. I don't see that the individual needs to identify

with the demographic set to the extent that there's a need for a personal apology for the collective wrongs of a generation.

It takes a lot of stitches to knit a sweater.

[NNadir]

10. Perhaps I read too much history.

I hate to go full Godwin here but...

...if we look, we can learn all we want about Sophie Scholl but when we think about Germany from 1933-1945, it is not she who we think about, but rather about her culture as a whole, which is why there is a Godwin's law in the first place.

I'm an old white man living in 2019; sometimes because of it, I get a certain look directed at me in public places.

I know this is the lounge, but we have children separated from parents and living in cages and I'm personally not in a mood to think about Grace Slick singing "White Rabbit," stoned out of her gourd.

Irrespective of whether there are good people in my Demographic - and clearly there are - history does indeed focus collective guilt on entire cultures and entire generations.

When I look back at the sex, drugs and rock and roll culture of the set to which I belong, the American baby boomers, a generation so willing to celebrate itself, I just feel differently. In my opinion there is very little to celebrate and much to regret.

Collectively we could have, should have done better.

Anyone is free to feel differently, of course, but that is how I feel. I see these kids today; smart, well educated, overwhelmingly decent and open, and I hope for a better world, but we have not done right by them.

[Harker]

11. It saddens me that collective guilt

puts a heavy load on your shoulders. I would wish it better for a man of your plainly evident intelligence and sensitivity.

I have limited knowledge of the Scholls, usw., but I do have a tendency to read of the resistance, underdogs, and escapees (from) of history. The objectors, conscientious or otherwise. Still, I take your point that it's the oppressive regimes that leave the big boot print on history.

I think the individual that stands in front of a moving tank, causing the driver to think about what they're doing, and to make a decision, or she who scrawls "Down with Trumpsky" on a concrete walll, is undertaking a valorous deed. They need not apologize for the inaction of others.

I wholeheartedly wish you peace, love, and happiness.

I'll presently begin educating myself on Godwin, and his or her law. Thank you!

[Harker]

3. That's some heavy shit, man.

What were you about?

[NNadir]

5. I wasted 10 years trying to be "cool," and afterwards, took a sober look at reality...

...mine and the world's.

When Woodstock was happening, for the record, I was working in a sandwich shop for my summer job, making hero sandwich's under the owner of the store, a Holocaust survivor with the tattoo on his arm and everything.

After I came back to see him, many years later, after becoming a scientist, when I told him what I'd become he asked me, in his Yiddish accent, "For good or for bad?"

I didn't know the answer.

[lark]

6. I wasn't at Woodstock, but went to West Palm Beach pop festival a short time later.

We too had rain and muck to deal with, but also beautiful people and beautiful vibes with no violence and people helping each other. I was 17 and completely drugged out for 3 days but have never seen such giving and helpfulness to complete strangers as I saw there. A small example - on the 2nd night I was so high on acid I truly couldn't see reality well and couldn't find the bathrooms or what served for those anyway. A friend and me were standing on the path trying to figure it out when these kind people saw us lost puppies and asked if we needed help. I told her the issue. She and her friend took our hands and led us to the bathroom, waited for us and took us back to our campfire when we were done. It was an awesome time I will always be grateful for. Of course, the music was amazing too - Joplin, Jefferson Starship, Santana, Stones, King Crimson. Ahhhh.

[JimGinPA]

7. I Just Got...

'Woodstock - Back To The Garden - 50th Anniversary' 10 cd box set. I haven't had a chance to to listen to much of it yet though.

There is also a 38 disc set that was way out of my price range (but still doesn't include every song).

But hey, my 25th anniversary set only has 4 cd's.


I wasn't there, but yeah, I wish I had been.

[Harker]

9. Breakfast is over...

'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.