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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
DEFINING MOMENT
The signs posted by neighboring farmers declared in bold letters, “Don’t buy Max’s milk. He loves the Hippies.”
The son of a Jewish immigrant from Minsk, Max’s anger burned as he read the words. “My father came to this free country to escape such nonsense and hatred. It’s my land and I’ll rent to whomever I please.”
According to a close friend, Max traveled to Israel in 1971 where he met David Ben Gurion.
Max told the retired prime minister, “I’m Max Yasgur from Bethel, New York.”
To which Ben Gurion responded, “Oh yeah, that’s where Woodstock was, wasn’t it?”
And if you have the time…
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Let’s not stifle the rights of people
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Dear Sadje,
Woodstock might have gone a little above and beyond. 😉 Me? I was too young and too far away to go. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My pleasure!
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Woodstock… I bet weed still lingers in the air. 😀. A time and place event. I’m not sure that magic can be
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replicated.
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Dear Tanille,
It wasn’t until twenty years after the fact and a slew of lawsuits that people starting looking back on it as magic. It was definitely a different time. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s interesting how events become romanticised over time.
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I dreamt I saw the bombers riding shotgun in the sky
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And then you woke up. Good morning, Neil.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
We could feel the ghosts of the past when we visited the site back in 2018. It was pretty impossible to imagine those fields filled with the people. We then spent hours going over videos of the event but somehow I missed the one of the “original couple”.
As you do so well, you bring these people to life.
Shalom and lotsa peaceful love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
It is a place I’d love to visit. Can you imagine that couple’s shock when they saw themselves on the album cover? Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom and lotsa free-loving hugs,
Rochelle
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Definitely worth a visit. We really enjoyed walking the grounds and going through the museum, watching the documentaries. Very cool.
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Thanks, Max, glad you let them use your land. It got more than a little out of control, but… Great little story. When I was in high school I read a book that went into a huge amount of detail about the making of Woodstock.
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Dear Trent,
I love it that Max stood up to his neighbors. Hard to believe Woodstock was over half a century ago. There are lots of books, photos and video footage from the event. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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I never went to Woodstock, but I do remember those days. Thank you for bringing those times back to mind.
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Dear Frank,
I was a bit too young and too far away to have gone. You’re so welcome for the memories. Thank you for the comments. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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One of the world’s biggest events of the century. Those too young to remember it are aware of it as generations to come will be I’m sure.
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Dear Keith,
Woodstock is better remembered in history than the Vietnam war, I think. I wonder how many who were there actually remember it? 😉 Thank you for the read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I was newly-married and not very interested in the goings-on of the Woodstock era, but its significance caught me even back then. It was the year of my wedding; the year of Woodstock; the year of the first moon landing–just for starters 🙂
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Dear LInda,
I met my future husband and turned 16 in 1969. Since I lived nowhere near New York, Woodstock wasn’t an option. Of course I thought it was very cool and wished I could. In retrospect, I’m not so sure. 😉 It wasn’t until 20 years after the event that people realized the significance.
Thank you for stopping by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A year to remember!
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A great story. Woodstock was a special, unique and, as history shows, once in a lifetime event. Others tried to replicate it but it was never the same due to the spontaneous response of musician’s and people. Expecting 75,000 and getting 450,000 was otherworldly. I had just been discharged from my first Navy enlistment in May and was on the East Coast in Connecticut. A friend & I were contemplating going when, regretfully, I decided to head back to Kansas City instead. It was a unique time and place in history.
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Dear Jan,
Just as there will never be another Beatles, there can never be another Woodstock. Definitely unique times in history. Now aren’t you glad you headed back to Kansas City? 😉 😉
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Imagine he had bowed to the pressure and changed his mind, what a lot we would have missed out on.
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Dear Iain,
No Woodstock? I can’t imagine that. Thank you for your comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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“He loves the hippies”. What a crime!
Pretty incredible guy, made an incredible thing happen.
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Dear Jen,
Max made a decision that changed the world forever, didn’t he? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Love this! My friend, who’s been hanging out with the angels for some years now, had been to Woodstock. She was a young’un then, and it left a lasting impression. In more ways than one … Lovely interpretation for the photo! I went a … less crowded … way … 😉
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Na’ma Y’karah,
I was a tad too young and too far away to go to Woodstock. Nonetheless it shaped my future and the future of so many others. Thank you for your lovely comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes, I would have been quite too young, myself, but my friend was there, and I know it had shaped her life. And many others’ besides!
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It was way before my day. I recently went there to see Steely Dan ish (it can’t be the real thing anymore). For me, because of my always having been so plum obsessed with that era, it was such a fab time.
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Dear Larry,
Just as the Beatles music is timeless so is Woodstock’s imprint. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Damn dirty hippies always dirtying up the place with their peace and love. Woodstock is easily the most iconic festival of all-time. It was well before my time, but I’m still familiar with the history and imagery. That’s when people knew how to protest. Not like today when throwing a can of soup at a priceless painting is considered a protest. We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.
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Dear Nobbin,
Woodstock certainly left it’s indelible mark on history. As for those “dirty hippies”…well….I wouldn’t know anything about that. 😉 😉
Thank you for reading and commenting. Always appreciated.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I bet he sold all of his milk in a hurry. It takes those with courage to make wondrous miracles happen. Kudos to Max and his Wife for standing strong.
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Dear Lisa,
I’m not sure about Max’s milk. There was certainly a lot of wear and tear on his land. But I don’t believe he was left with any regrets. Thank you for reading and commenting. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, fun looking back at that time in our country, which felt alive in a very real way. You are welcome.
Shalom,
Lisa
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Dear Rochelle,
Thanks for sharing Max’s story. I wonder how many stories people are still telling of Woodstock. It was a pivotal cultural movement. But we still persist in seeing people with political opinions other than our own as enemies. How much has the world really changed?
Shalom,
Dora
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Dear Dora,
Woodstock did leave an indelible mark on history. Definitely a pivotal moment. As long as people who were there are still living, the stories will continue. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hey Rochelle,
I read this and had to take a walk before commenting. Emotional.
This is the third time Woodstock has come up for me this week (and it’s only Wednesday). The story was emotional because that was my time. August 1969. I was 23, a GI-Bill Junior at Texas A&M, and wondering about it all. I was confused and like many vets at the time, trying to make sense of a world that made none. And that a stupid war waged by one lying moron after another (that I read about every single day). Little did I know I was still being formed. Still learning about life. Truth.
I could not handle such a crowd, so I would probably never go. While I could easily name 100 songs I still love from then, today I say the “Vietnam Song” by Country Joe and “White Rabbit” by Grace Slick remain favs.
I raise a toast to Mr. Max and to you for writing this. Great, nay, fantastic!, inspiration from the photo.
Peace,
Bill
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Dear Bill,
I can’t tell you how emotional your comment has made me. (If I haven’t said it before “thank you for your service and welcome home”) I met my husband the summer of 1969 when he’d just gotten out of the Navy. He didn’t go to Vietnam but was in that era and suffered the epithets by protestors who spat on his uniform.
I wasn’t quite 15 then and hadn’t really figured things out. Not sure about then, but I certainy don’t handle crowds well now. And there are even more lying morons today than there were then, aren’t there?
BTW, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were in the swim lane next to me yesterday. He looked a lot like the pics I’ve seen of you. Decent swimmer, too. 😉
“One, two, three, four. What the hell are we fighting for?” Yeah those are two of my favorite songs, too.
Thank you for your kind and affirming comments. Write on. Farm out and outta state.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Right, Rochelle,
There are so many interesting stories tied to Woodstock.
Peace,
Bill
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Thank you Rochelle for introducing me to this bit of history. Enjoyed the read very much 🙂
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Dear Dahlia,
It’s always a pleasure to bring a bit of history to life. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you for bringing history to life.
Great story.
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My pleasure, Chioma. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Love this story ❤
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Thank you for taking the time to say so, Angela. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You are very welcome ❤
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The story and the videos took me back. I never attended Woodstock, but it’s legend. I like Max, so open and free with what he had. I love the last line of the video, “This world needs more Woodstock.” Wonderful post, Rochelle!
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Hi Rochelle, this is the first time I’ve participated in Friday Fictioneers and I’m not quite sure what I have to do. I’ve written a story and linked it back to your blog. What else is involved, please?
I enjoyed your story and remember people talking about Woodstock when I was younger. We have our ‘Woodstock’ communities here in Portugal who live off-grid.
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Dear Piglet,
I can’t see where you linked. At any rate I have your story linked here: https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/1f28239660924165879eb2c18e30570b. If you scroll up on my page you’ll see the link right below the frog. The only other thing involved is reading other’s stories and commenting. And replying to comments on your story. It’s a great way to meet other writers and, sometimes, make new friends Welcome!
Thank you re my story. Glad you enjoyed.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Brenda,
I was too young and too far away to have gone to Woodstock. Not like my parents would’ve let me go. 😉 Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Well goodness! I love stories about this incredible moment in history.
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Dear Laurie,
Glad you stopped by. There’s no denying the imprint Woodstock left, is there?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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when i moved to san francisco, the first thing i did was go to haight-ashbury and look for the real hippies. i guess i arrived too late. 🙂
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Dear Plaridel,
I suspect those Haight-Ashbury hippies are enjoying children and grandchildren now. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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i guess so. 🙂
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I was à hippie in my day – long skirts, no shoes, a pram full of kids…
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Dear Liz,
For me it was bell-bottom jeans and moccasins. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Music brings people together, and there should be more music among the pretend leaders we have.
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Dear James,
I wonder what music our so-called leaders would use to bring us together. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Fascinating, I did not know this. When I was a kid my older cousin took me and my sister to see the Oscar winning Woodstock. I was too small to appreciate the event then but that awareness remained when I grew up.
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Dear Subroto,
Hard to believe this all is over a half-century behind us. Feeling old here. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I am late to the party this week, but I am pleased to read about Woodstock. Full of memories for me. I grew up in [ Woodstock England ] and have visited [Woodstock USA]
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Dear Michael,
Better late than never. Glad you were able to join and glad my story brought good memories.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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