I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, where are you going
And this he told me
I’m going on down to Yasgurs 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 an get my soul free

-Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock

We had wonderful dinner last night with our very simpatico friends, Sheila and Dan. Most notable, though, was our discussion of the years 1967-1970. It was a wide-ranging conversation.

How crazy those years were. How much social change was afoot. The draft. Kent State. Vietnam. The effect of Vietnam on people we knew who served. The women’s movement. Protests. Riots. College closings. How both Dan and Michael turned down chances to go to Woodstock.

40 years since Woodstock. Who could believe it?

Despite all the upheaval, (and it wasn’t always a pretty time) I would go back and live those years again in a heartbeat. Those years forged who I am: my pacifism and my stance against capital punishment. My openness. My liberalism and care for those less fortunate. My need to question authority. My free-spiritedness.

Peace and love are worthy things to believe in.

It was an exciting time. A vibrant time. Change was in the air. We had a aense of hope.

The future lay before us, an open road.