This past July 4th, my wife, my golden retriever and I spent an afternoon in the town of Woodstock. We go there once or twice a year to soak up the vibes, do a little shopping, eat some macrobiotic health food, and enjoy the ambiance of this little village in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. For those of you who may be unaware, Woodstock (the village) was not the site of the famous music festival, which had been slated to be held there but due to some local politics ended up 30 miles away at Yasgur's Farm in Bethel, New York. However, because the festival retained the name (tickets and posters had already been printed), Woodstock (the village) has always been a landmark and symbol representing the era and the event that occurred elsewhere.

As you might expect, the throngs of visitors to this little village represent several different groups. Most visible are the aging baby-boomers - those who might have once piled out of VW Microbuses and are now stepping out of their BMWs or Saabs. There are also lots of bikers, hoardes of teens, and many tourists who in another era might have driven cars sporting "America - Love It or Leave It" bumper stickers. The town itself boasts quite a population of artisans, musicians, aging hippies and eccentrics. In general, the mix of all these people is fun, interesting, and mellow. The spirit of the "Peace and Love" generation is not lost in this place. Unfortunately, there are exceptions to be found.

One exception, an ugly mark on an otherwise smooth collection of nostalgia, art and commerce, can be found in a shopkeeper whose sole purpose in life seems to be to make a living on the tourism trade. While there's nothing wrong in this per se, it's the manner in which she goes about achieving her financial goals that detracts from the otherwise friendly atmosphere. Let me explain by focusing on one incident. For me, Woodstock, the symbol of a generation that prided itself on love and good vibes, is marred by this shopkeeper who dresses like a hippie, with all the trappings such as a sindur (an adornment of the forehead), a floor-length batik dress, and peace sign necklaces, but who in fact is simply wearing a costume and pretending to be something that she probably never had been and by virtue of her behavior certainly never will be. I purchased an item in her store, and upon opening it right in front of her, I realized that it was not what I had understood it to be based on her description. When I explained that it was not what I wanted, her response was "Sorry, you opened it, so it's yours." Needless to say, an argument ensued, but the bottom line was that the $5.00 was more important to this woman than anything else in her life. I might as well have been asking her to turn over her soul. In fact, now that I think about it, that's exactly what we were haggling about. This woman's soul and spirit are belied by her costume, the location of her shop, and the goods she sells. While unscrupulous salespeople like this are certainly not uncommon, it was the stark contrast of her true personality and intent with what she pretended to represent that made it so ugly. This woman doesn't belong in the village. Her pretense is sad, and her attitude is antithetical to everything Woodstock represents. For this reason, I sincerely recommend that you avoid "Modern Mythology", located at 12 Tinker Street in the heart of town the next time you visit. Nothing she sells can't be obtained from other similar shops in the town run by nicer, more reasonable people.

Fortunately, she is the exception and not the rule in this otherwise friendly place. Most shopkeepers are true representatives of the sixties era, and besides the crafts and food and nostalgia they vend, it is the good spirit and tradition they dispense that makes and keeps Woodstock the beautiful village it is.

When I spoke with other residents of the town about my experience, they all knew exactly who I had dealt with before I even identified the shop. Apparently, she has quite a reputation among the locals for such behavior. However, their philosophy is one that adheres somewhat to the notion of Yin and Yang; "there will be a balance to her negativity in positive deeds performed by others". You think...?

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