Woodstock: Model Workplace?

As reported in the Washington Post and media from around the world, the 40th anniversary of Woodstock has come and gone. Those who were there say there was nothing like it. Four days of peace, love, community, and music. Woodstock changed a generation, the country, they say. I had just graduated from college. Instead of going to Woodstock, I got married, a life-changing experience itself.

I don’t doubt that people who were at Woodstock have feelings for the event that those of us in the same generation, the much vaunted baby boomers, do not. Woodstock was memorable, even if one was watching from afar. It was amazing. But I think you had to be there.

The only thing for which Woodstock can still be heralded is the music. Peace, love and community were pretty quickly fractured. The Woodstock generation arguably became the most materialistic generation in American history. But the event should be remembered.

It does show what can happen, however short-lived, when we let go of ourselves and focus on those around us. People helped each other during Woodstock. They cared for each other. They shared what they had. They did find peace, love and community rarely experienced. In that sense, Woodstock can be a much needed model for every workplace. Of course, today’s drug-testing policies would change the Woodstock office a bit, but if such policies had been enforced back then, maybe Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin would be CEOs somewhere today.

1. 

   RFWoodstock says:

   August 20, 2009 at 10:07 am

   WOODSTOCK LIVES ONLINE!!!! We’re a small group of folks based at Utopia Studios in Woodstock who are keeping the spirit of Woodstock alive.

   Listen to RADIO WOODSTOCK 69 which features only music from the original Woodstock era (1967-1971) and RADIO WOODSTOCK with music from the original Woodstock era to today’s artists who reflect the spirit of Woodstock. Watch Woodstock TV.

   Win a Woodstock special limited edition white Stratocaster guitar (like the one Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock) and Collector’s Edition Woodstock DVD.

   Go to http://www.woodstockuniverse.com for details and to join our Woodstock Universe online community.

   Peace, love, music,
   RFWoodstock
   rfwoodstock@gmail.com
2. 

   HD4006 says:

   August 20, 2009 at 12:01 pm

   Interesting blog. Arguably, the biggest legacy of Woodstock is its huge impact on the real children of the sixties: Generation Jones (born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Generation X). That peace ‘n love cultural mood magnified the naturally open-hearted feelings of children in the sixties; the residual idealism which was formed into those kids bears particular salience now as this generation has taken over U.S. leadership. This USA TODAY op-ed speaks to the relevance today of the sixties counterculture impact on our new GenJones leadership: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090127/column27_st.art.htm

   Google Generation Jones, and you’ll see it’s gotten a ton of media attention, and many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) now specifically use this term. In fact, the Associated Press’ annual Trend Report forecast the Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend of 2009. Here’s a page with a good overview of recent media interest in GenJones: http://generationjones.com/2009latest.html
3. 

   John Phillips says:

   August 20, 2009 at 5:51 pm

   Thanks very much for weighing in, HD4006. I look forward to getting a little better educated on Generation Jones.