Celebrating WOODSTOCK'S 52nd Year Anniversary

August 15, 1969 - August 18, 1969

Getting Back to Where We Once Belonged and Other Ruminations

Pictured in the attached trippy video-flyer is that of the theater troupe EARTHLIGHT that I belonged to from 1969 -1971. That's us at the Woodstock festival, incidentally, we were the only theater company to perform at the 3 day life-changing live music event.

During our classic trademark iconoclastic social un-distancing "Ohm" circle, Earthlight members would hug, chant and dance until the audience joined in. Down the road we were eventually joined by the late Peggy Mae and the band Pure Love & Pleasure, where we jumped up and down shouting with purpose while they sang The Lord’s Prayer, a real religious rock'n roll session for the times. I still get a rush just thinking about.

I knew then we'd never be back to normal after that - but couldn't anticipate how un-normal we would become and moreover, I’m not sure when we will be back to any modicum of normalcy - what with Covid19 and an Alpha strain after it's Delta strain and perhaps a Gamma strain for tight measure to keep us masked up, held up and pent up. Whew!

Hopefully my BLOG reflects Woodstock's true paradigm-shifting impact was pre-ordained as part of the human race's 1st mass precognitive consciousness raising rally against big pharma, out of control establishment, our generation's health-care future and ultimately the social breakdown that has followed. Was Woodstock a cosmic antidote, if you will? We wish.

At Woodstock we gathered as much folks as possible together for fun and celebration, unknowingly protesting non-violently for a better world, an anti-covid world: A better life.Today we separate folks as much as possible for survival & isolation. At Woodstock we experimented with recreational drugs for enlightenment, entertainment or even distraction from war, disease and social injustice. Today we experiment with medical drugs to cure viruses and we're still striving to save the planet and balance social constructs.

At Woodstock because of the increment summer of love weather in upstate N.Y., the chant became “No rain, No rain .” On January 6th 2021 across the country, the insurrectionists chant became ‘“No Pense, No Pelosi”. Wavy Gravy, The de-facto mayor of Woodstock said "don’t take the brown acid; It’s definitely bad for you!" Last year Fauci, the de-facto mayor of covid-land said "don’t drink the bleach that Trump advised - It’s definitely bad for you!" Jim Jones? well, f**k him anyway!

In 69, N.Y. Governor Nelson Rockefeller declared Woodstock a state of emergency so he could facilitate distributing food and medical supplies. Recently, N.Y. Governor Mario Cuomo was himself declared a state of emergency because he was trying to facilitate distributing his charms on women who were not hungry nor thirsty for his "resources".

Joni Mitchell wrote the Woodstock song ending with “We got to get ourselves back to the garden.” Today we wonder if the drought has dried out any chances there’s a garden to even get back to.

Back then we talked about the Vietnam war, social and racial issues, etc., troubled times indeed. We still talk about today's troubled times, the only differen
ce is we zoom about them. I'm not sure they have WiFi in the "Garden", but if they do, at least some of us are eligible for the senior, graduated, grand discounted rates.

Questions that beg for an answer:

• How has Covid affected you and your view of modern life both personal and historical?
• How has the 60's promise of a better world turrned out for you today?
• Is there a different era that has most affected you besides the 60s, if so how?

Correspondence: s.rachel.lovey@gmail.com