Good Vibrations on the Hudson

The Spirit of the 60s Lives at the Clearwater Festival

My family and I have made attendance at the annual Clearwater Festival, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York—northern Westchester County—a summer ritual. What’s not to like? Two days of tie-dye, arts & crafts, opportunities to learn about and participate in social and environmental justice…oh, and great musicians playing outdoors in relatively intimate settings. And this festival has the spirit of the late Pete Seeger anchoring it.

Every year, it is as if the producers send out a beacon: calling all former hippies, their kids and grandkids, and the younger folks who love and appreciate them. It’s time to meet again, share in some great music, and have a positive mindset—at least for the day, and maybe the whole weekend.

As my wife and I headed toward the crafts area, we stumbled into the moment that reminded us of who these people—the festival attendees—and who we, were. It was almost comical: several young ladies bent over, staring at the gravel-covered pathway at their feet, and moving in circular motions. I thought that maybe someone had lost a contact lens, or a small item of jewelry. I asked them what they were looking for, and learned that a woman had lost the back of her cochlear implant—part of a sophisticated and likely very expensive hearing aid. It was small, oblong, and unfortunately, clear, we were told. Nothing to do but join the hunt.

While we searched, the process repeated itself, almost like a game of telephone. Now, passers by asked me what the search was all about, and they stopped to help once they heard the story. And after about 5 minutes, a rustle of activity about 20 yards down the path signaled that the implant had been found, by another gentleman who had kindly joined the search. I moved toward him, and finally got to see what the implant piece looked like. It was clear plastic, maybe half an inch long, and curved—so easy to miss. It’s owner showed us how it fit onto the top of her implant, using both sign language and speech. She was happy, and so was everyone who had stopped to help.

Maybe it was the Summer of Love, just for a few minutes.