40 Years Ago today In Woodstock Nation, NY
August 15, 2009
Woodstock Nation August, 1969 - 40 years later. I was there.
Three days of peace, love, music, beads, rain, mud, and lots and lots of different people who just managed to get a long because they wanted too.
For me, it was a transformation of a new understanding of the human condition, and how a simple smile is universal language that broke down barriers, and kindness toward each other was a common occurrence.
We endured terrible traffic and stranded the car on the side of the road to walk for miles. I was enormously grateful for the decent shoes, the apples, the water and the Oreo cookies too. Oh those Oreo cookies!!!
We endured torrential rains and through it all, we were still smiling and laughing. I remember being near enough to the stage to see Janice Joplin, but the sound was so bad, it sounded like someone was strangling a farm animal. I briefly met Max Yasgur, thanked him for his hospitality, but he so looked dazed and amazed, he had a look on his face of sheer surprise, shock and WTF! All I remember him saying was “Thanks, can you stick around and help clean up?”
The sheer enormity and diversity of the audience and the whole scene that seemed to constantly evolve was more like a cosmic wonderland. I missed Jimi Hendrix, enjoyed The Who, slept through Joe Cocker, danced to Santana and Jefferson Airplane, and loved Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Don’t remember much else about the music, but the expereince changed our world.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. It was a part of our history, and part of our culture, and set me on the path to think really big, and believe I could get along with everyone. It was a great lesson in acceptance and survivla for a young man, and besides, it will always be thrill to say, “Yeah, I was at Woodstock.” I am part of that faternity!
In my post event memories, I the thing I liked most was a long, hot shower in a motel room in Pennsylvania, on the way back to Ohio, and a big turkey club sandwich and a couple Cokes on the way home.
It Changed The World
In Memory of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Founder and Honorary Chairman of Special Olympics
August 11, 2009
How Can We Do It Better? Or Watch out for the perfectionists!
August 11, 2009
As a business owner I constantly ask: How can we do it better? For the most part, this is good a good question to ask, but the hard part for most leaders, managers and business owners is knowing when “it” is good enough. Some people get so obsessed with making things perfect, it can make you crazy. Man, I worked for a guy 25 years ago that had to have everything perfect, or it did not fit the requirements. Result: Not much true productivity got done. This is up for a discusstion and I welcome your comments. Frank