Summary

The article reflects on the personal and cultural impact of Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock," juxtaposing the author's experiences during the 1969 festival with the song's themes and the ongoing quest for peace and environmental consciousness.

Abstract

The author of the article shares a deeply personal reflection on the enduring influence of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," a song that encapsulated the spirit of the 1969 music festival and resonated with the author's own life transition. The piece draws parallels between the song's lyrics and the author's journey from a planned banking career to embracing the counter-culture movement, emphasizing themes of freedom, love, and a return to nature. It highlights the transformative power of music in shaping personal identity and societal values, while also addressing contemporary issues such as environmentalism, the futility of war, and the need for collective action and mental health awareness. The author advocates for a shift from individualism to communal harmony and responsible coexistence, suggesting that the ideals of the Woodstock era remain relevant in today's world.

Opinions

The author believes that the ideals of the Woodstock era, such as peace, love, and environmentalism, are timeless and should be revisited in contemporary society.
There is a strong opinion that war is an ineffective solution to conflicts and that the government's actions, particularly in the Vietnam War, were detrimental to human life.
The article suggests that personal and societal change is possible through collective effort and a willingness to evolve, with a focus on mental health and compassionate coexistence.
The author expresses a hopeful perspective on the potential for humans to live harmoniously, advocating for the reduction of individualism in favor of community-focused values.
The piece criticizes the prevalence of gun violence in society and calls for stricter gun control measures to prevent harm and promote healing.
The author emphasizes the importance of learning from history and personal experiences to foster a more balanced and empathetic society.
There is an underlying belief in the power of music, particularly Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," to inspire and unite people across generations.

Woodstock Then And Now

Joni Mitchell created and released her iconic song Woodstock in 1969, the year I graduated high school. It affected me greatly then and still does. This is my take on her transforming words

WOODSTOCK — The Song

Joni: “I came upon a child of God. He was walking along the road”

So did I Joni. You were singing on a stage that last gasp, Summer of Love in 1969. I graduated high school and planned to work at a bank before heading to college in the fall.

I quit the day a friend walked in and invited me to join her journey to San Francisco. We hit the road the next day and I never looked back.

Children of God were everywhere. “God is Love We are God.” Peace and love was a staple on the daily menu. Welcome sisters and brothers. We are in this together. Yes!

Joni: “And I asked him where are you going and this he told me. I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm. I’m going to join in a rock ’n’ roll band. I’m going to camp out on the land. I’m going to try and get my soul free.”

VW buses crammed the road. Packed with musicians, poets, refugees from the norm, and outright rebels. Our mission was to discover who we truly were.

I was almost unbearably excited to be alive. The loving of life oozed through my pores. The freedom of simply being was released in my breath.

Live and let live reigned the day. A good motto to practice and one that’s currently missing or been delayed in manufacturing.

An allowing of each others humanness. With a dose of grace tossed in to sweeten the deal. “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

Joni: “We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”

Opening to alternative lifestyles. “Never trust anyone over 30.” Jack Weinberg issued this one forth at the height of counter-culture frenzy. A source of humor for me now.

Buy your Whole Earth catalog. Join an organic food co-op. Get back to the land with a garden.

Buy in bulk. Avoid plastics and packaging. Love Gaia, our home.

Joni: “Then can I walk beside you. I have come here to lose the smog. And I feel to be a cog in something turning.”

We all knew something bigger than ourselves was in process. Beatniks were the first counter culture wave in the ‘50s. Flower children morphed into Hippies, who took over the reins during the '60s.

It was impossible not to feel the momentum of environmental movements with the emphatic message of walking lightly on the land. Leave no trace.

Joni: “Well maybe it is just the time of year. Or maybe it’s the time of man. I don’t know who I am but life is for learning.”

We opened new doors in our minds. Psychotropics produced some astonishing results in consciousness. Evolutionary leaps were made. A rapid path to learning which suited some. Others learned what not to do.

The status quo needed a good shake-up, just as it does right now. What had been was no longer sustainable. Societal chaos was in motion.

Many of us were learning to shift our mind from focusing on self, to considering others. Equality was not a mental concept, but an innate given.

Few of us pretended to know who we were. This left the field wide open for exploration.

Joni: “We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”

A chorus repeatedly orienting us back to nature and inner wisdom. We were confused by human behavior. We were a species that trashed its home. It made no sense. It had to change.

We grounded and embodied our physical being as we soared into the realms of subtle energy and metaphysics. East-West connections made on all planes.

Global citizens on the move. Youth activating deeper awareness in every nation.

Joni: “By the time we got to Woodstock. We were half a million strong. And everywhere there was song and celebration.”

Unity was not a mental concept. It was playing out in front of our eyes. We began to realize we needed to take responsibility for our life and we could direct it as well.

We understood the power in gathering and the potency of shared values.

Joni: “And I dreamed I saw the bombers. Riding shotgun in the sky. And they were turning into butterflies. Above our nation.”

“Make Love, Not War.” This slogan was a favorite. The futile war in Vietnam was igniting protests across the country. Involuntary conscriptions sent dear friends to foreign countries where they were forced to kill fellow humans.

A couple of my friends died. Others came back with missing limbs and slow deaths inflicted by the U.S. government’s use of Agent Orange, a deadly chemical.

How can we persist in believing war is a remedy? Lets snap our fingers and clear our hypnotic trance.

Joni: “We are stardust. Billion-year-old carbon. We are golden. Caught in the devil’s bargain. And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”

Family photo/two months later I was hitching Highway 101, passing right by Joni’s Big Sur concert

Joni ends her masterpiece with a third reminder. Evolution happens with united intentions. Are we still so enraptured with the devil’s bargain we will continue dancing to the tune of what’s in it for me?

Creating a more balanced society is a major group effort and it requires tremendous co-operation to gain momentum. Me, me, me will have to go bye, bye, bye to give birth to US.

Those bombers Joni dreamt of years ago are part of my waking reality today. Our islands share a border with Canada. There’s a U.S. Naval base armed with Growler jets to the south.

These jets produce a threatening and deafening roar as part of their defense. Humans can go inside. Sensitive wildlife has no option but to endure.

The Navy claims they need their drills. We’re ready for Kim Jong Un or Putin to try and toss us a nuke. Bad boys with deadly toys. Will it ever end?

I confess and not reluctantly, to being a lifelong, hopelessly hopeful person. An almost 72 year old, Forever Hippie.

A hardcore believer in peace and love over fear and hate. Harmony has never gone out of style in my world.

I’ve managed to absorb a few life lessons. Mainly through the torture of repetition before epiphanies blessedly arrived.

This was a big one: No one will change unless they are ready and willing to do so.

Here’s a workable compromise: Meeting on the middle ground.

Let’s forget love and peace for now. We’re not there for the most part. Why get frustrated before starting?

How about a baseline of surrendering to co-existence, as long as we do no harm to ourselves or others.

We don’t have to love or even like our neighbor. We do need to respect our differences and maintain healthy boundaries however.

And please, if you own a gun leave it at home. Locked up and out of the reach of vulnerable children and those who self harm.

There are many countries in our world where arms are prohibited and societies mysteriously get by without them.

We are losing our hearts and joy in life with the steady stream of mindless murders. If it’s not a war, then it’s a mass shooting. Committed by an angry person who desperately needs assistance with their mental health.

Helping one another, rather than hurting each other, is a logical and compassionate approach to pain. Healing on an individual level ripples out, affects the Collective and becomes a benefit for all.

I have a unique perception based on my life experiences. So do you. This is a fact of our shared reality. Sometimes I’m amazed humans communicate as well as we do.

And we can do a lot better. Now is a good time to up our antes and learn how to flow with our fellow souls.

And yeah, Joni. You mystical, musical, genius you. I’m with you all the way.

“We are stardust, we are golden.”

Do you want magic in your life? Believe in that. 💛💫