My Woodstock

Indelible memory The helicopters going over after the storms, dropping thousands of flowers.

Rise and shine I actually woke up to [Jimi] Hendrix on the last morning -- “The Star-Spangled Banner” wafting over the air. It was pretty spectacular.

Woodstock ‘99? You could never have the peace and love and friendship among the audience with bands like that. It’s an angry energy. Look at Country Joe & the Fish -- it was a happy energy.

Difficult divisions I marched against the [Vietnam] war. One dear friend of mine came from a difficult family situation. The only way he could hope to go to college was to join the Navy. He came to my house and said, “Nobody will talk to me.” Well, he’s a PhD now. You have to make your choices in life.

Larry Oberlander, 58, software consultant, Dover, New Hampshire Going the distance When we got there, the traffic jam was horrendous. We basically abandoned the car in the middle of the road. Ended up having to walk probably 5, 6 miles.

Mood alteration We all were indulging pretty good, but nobody went crazy.

Late scare One of the guys brought his girlfriend. When we dropped her off in Western Mass., she invited us in for sandwiches. Her father and her uncles basically kidnapped us while they took her to the doctor.

The music then I think back to Santana. The Who was fantastic. Janis [Joplin] was tremendous.

“All You Need Is Love” That was an attractive concept at the time. Sometimes that’s true, but you also need other things, like a job.

Regrets? Things kind of worked out for me. For a lot of my friends, even my brother, the lifestyle caught up with them. I was one of the lucky ones, I guess.

JoAnne Giovino, 59, chairwoman, Billerica Conservation Commission, Billerica Serendipity It started raining, so we hiked back to stay in our car. But we couldn’t find it. Of all those people, who do I bump into but my boyfriend at the time. That was kismet, huh?

Misconceptions It was a very mellow weekend. My mother saw what the press was putting out, which was the opposite of what I was experiencing. She was beside herself.

The atmosphere Most people all looked out for one another. That’s what you did.

Roots of her environmentalism My sandal got stuck in the mud, so I took the other one off and threw it. I remember turning around and seeing the mess we left. All these sandals and shoes.

Nostalgia trip Two years ago, my husband and I drove through the area. There’s a little plaque. It was raining, of course. I got on the cell and called my best girlfriend, Mary Ann, and we started crying. I’d like to go back. Not that you can ever go back.

James Sullivan is a freelance writer in Amesbury. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.