American Girl (New York)(Lea Sheryn) Meadowlark sat yogi-style on the back bench seat of Waldo's VW bus. She shook her tambourine when the mood struck her. Otherwise, she stared straight ahead with glassy eyes. Mellow Melon sat on the floor at her feet. She swayed placidly but not in rhythm with Meadowlark's tambourine. Ziggy sprawled across the middle seat with Field Mouse pushed into a corner. Lennon took the shotgun position up front. They were headed for Bethel, New York.

Meadowlark was born Mary Sinclair. Her father owned a hardware store in the small town of Harveyville, and her mother worked as a bank teller. In other words, they were squares. The all-mighty dollar ruled their lives, and they supported the system. In the garage of their split-level house, a Town & Country station wagon sat beside a Coupe de Ville.

Mary met her new friends at a Vietnam War Protest. She attended the protest after school with her best friend, Jane Goode. Waldo leaped onto the top step of the country courthouse and shouted about peace and love. He held up two fingers on both hands above his head and made the peace sign symbol. The crowd held up their hands, too. Jane prodded Mary with her elbow, and both girls joined in.

Waldo pulled Jane onto the steps beside him. Mary followed in her wake and stood to one side. She admired her friend for speaking up beside the leader. Afterward, she told Waldo she wanted to participate more in the protest. She detested the war in Vietnam. When the crowd finally dispersed, Waldo invited them to sit in his VW bus.

When Mary and Jane clambered in, they found Ziggy and Field Mouse wrapped in each other's arms. Mary had heard of free sex but had never seen anyone involved in it. She backed away, but Jane sat down as though nothing extraordinary was happening. Shrugging aside her uneasy feeling, Mary followed her best friend's example.

"Company, Zig," Waldo announced, shoving the youth with his hand. Ziggy glared at him through square-framed wire sunglasses. Nevertheless, he sat up and pushed Field Mouse aside. "New recruits."

"Who?" Ziggy asked, his voice coming from far away.

"I'm Mary Sinclair, and this is Jane Goode," Mary introduced, offering a handshake.

"Mary Sinclair and Jane Goode," Ziggy echoed. "Where'd you dig up the squares?" He turned his wild eyes toward Waldo.

Mary resented the word 'squares' and voiced her opinion. Her parents were squares. She believed in peace and love. The world had to change, and she wanted to become a part of the new world order.

"You're Meadowlark." Ziggy pointed in her direction. "And this is…" His brow furrowed as he tried to think. "She's Mellow Melon. Dig your new names?"

"Yeah, we dig it," Jane cried, bobbling her head up and down. "Meadowlark and Mellow Melon, that's us."

At the next protest, the girls brought Make Love, Not War signs. They ironed their hair flat and wore headbands around their foreheads. Donning a pair of ragged bellbottom jeans and a skimpy bikini top, Meadowlark adorned herself with three strings of love beads and an armload of bangles. Mellow Melon appeared in cut-off shorts and a multicolored poncho.

After the protest, Waldo introduced them to Lennon. Lennon didn't speak. He wasn't disabled; his speechlessness was part of his protest. Only Waldo knew how to read his eye signals. Meadowlark learned that Lennon was the group's natural spokesman; Waldo acted as his mouthpiece.

Word began to spread about a multi-performer concert scheduled to take place in Bethel, New York. Billed "an Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music," Meadowlark and Mellow Melon wanted to attend. Waldo conferred with Lennon. Soon, they were on the road to Max Yasgur's dairy farm. When traffic piled up, they abandoned their bus alongside the road and hiked onto the concert grounds.

Meadowlark defied her parents to attend the event. They could not understand what had happened to their little girl. Mary had always obeyed their decisions and grew up to be a nice young woman. She graduated high school with a high grade point average and applied to several universities. Then, practically overnight, she changed.

The Sinclair's blamed the abrupt change on Mary's friend, Jane Goode. Jane lacked supervision. Her parents divorced, and her mother struggled to keep her head above water. As a result, her daughter ran wild. Mary got caught up in Jane's wayward lifestyle. Her parents disapproved.

"You're not traipsing off to some crazy concert on a dairy farm, Mary," her father shouted, his face turning crimson.

"Meadowlark," Mary enforced her new name.

"Meadowlark," Alvin Sinclair sputtered, shaking his head dolefully. "Your mother and I named you Mary, and Mary you will remain. I'm not buying into this Meadowlark nonsense, young lady. I don't even know where you picked that up from."

"From Ziggy."

"What in the world is a Ziggy?" Her father became angrier with each passing moment.

"Ziggy is Waldo's friend. There's Waldo, Ziggy, Field Mouse, and Lennon," Mary tried to explain. "I'm Meadowlark and Jane's Mellow Melon."

"Mellow Melon? Are you out of your mind?" Alvin moved closer threateningly. He stopped short, staring at his daughter. "Are you experimenting with LSD?"

"No, daddy," Mary responded subduedly. She hadn't tried it yet, but she knew Jane had.

"I suggest you separate yourself from your new friends," her father demanded. "Get back on track, go to college like you planned."

"I'm going to Woodstock," Mary stated sharply.

"What the hell is Woodstock?" Alvin wanted to know.

"An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Love," she answered, rolling her eyes. "I'm going, daddy. Seriously. The whole world's going. Creedence Clearwater Revival is playing. Janis Joplin, The Who, Crosby, Stills and Na…"

"That's enough," her father shouted, his anger rising. "You're not going anywhere. You're grounded."

Mary eyed her father defiantly. She flew upstairs when he advanced toward her, taking the risers two at a time. She slammed the door and plunked onto her bed. Tears stung her eyes. She pouted for a while; a determined look etched her face.

Mary filled a duffel bag with clothes for three days and a pair of pajamas. She found her Girl Scout sleeping bag in the back of her closet and added it to the duffel. Yanking open her bedroom window, she tossed her gear onto the back lawn. Mary carefully edged onto the porch roof and climbed down the sycamore. Keeping in the shadows, she stooped and ran toward the Goode house. Waldo came by to pick them up.

When Waldo pulled out of traffic, the group ditched the VW on the side of the road. Meadowlark began lifting her bags, but Lennon indicated she should leave them. Waldo explained that they could come back later for what they needed. Together, they trekked across the field to the concert venue.

People began arriving while the workers erected the fences and ticket booths. Most ignored the ticketing process and moved onto the venue's field. Word eventually came around stating Woodstock was a free concert. Waldo picked out a spot close to the stage, and everyone squatted. Others crowded around them. Lennon lit a joint and passed it around.

Meadowlark hesitated when her turn to smoke came around. Finally, she took it and inhaled deeply. It was only Marijuana and probably wouldn't hurt. She felt slightly dizzy but held herself together.

As the concert drew nearer, the field became a sea of young people. Space grew limited, and the rain began to pour down. They wallowed in mud, but no one seemed to mind. The beat of the music kept them enthralled. Ziggy threw off his clothes and rolled in the slop. Field Mouse decorated her body with mud and gyrated madly, hugging everyone in sight. Meadowlark realized they were high on drugs.

Meadowlark stuck close to Mellow Melon. They partied hard for three days, and it went by in a blur. For the first time, she felt free and at ultimate peace. Waldo slung his arms around the girls and swayed with them. He kissed Mellow Melon first, then Meadowlark. Lennon sat in the mud, yogi-style, and appeared zoned out. He was tripping on LSD. It continued to rain, but no one cared as long as the music kept playing.

When Jimi Hendrix tuned-up for The Star Spangled Banner, they rushed to the stage and waved their arms above their heads. Meadowlark felt exhilarated. Chills ran up and down her spine. Hendrix—the last performer—closed the concert with aplomb. A feeling of exultation filled her, then dropped her back to reality.

Meadowlark looked down upon herself. Her clothes were stained with mud, and she realized she had worn them for three days straight. Her filthy hair plastered her face. She swiped it away with slimy hands and splattered her face with dirt. Grinning from ear to ear, she turned toward Mellow Melon. Her friend clung to Waldo and kissed him wildly. Ziggy and Field Mouse disappeared completely, swallowed up by the crowd.

Finally, the group made their way back to the VW bus. It remained where they left it at the side of the road. Other abandoned vehicles sat along the side of the road. Waldo and Lennon took their places on the front seat while Meadowlark and Mellow Melon sprawled on the back bench seats. They trundled back toward Harveyville.

"What happened to Ziggy and Field Mouse?" Meadowlark asked as they drove away.

"If they missed the bus, that's their problem." Waldo shrugged. "They walk home or hitch a ride."

"But shouldn't we…?" Meadowlark asked indignantly.

"Why should we?" Mellow Melon put in. Waldo laughed while Lennon continued to stare in his zoned-out fashion.

"Yeah, why should we?" Meadowlark conceded, shrugging.

Waldo let the girls out at the Sinclair house. Meadowlark grabbed her gear and headed toward the front door. Mellow Melon followed her inside. When they entered, Alvin Sinclair leaped from his seat. He demanded to know where his daughter went.

"Woodstock," Meadowlark answered nonchalantly. "We had a blast."

"Your mother and I were worried sick," Al continued nonplussed. "You won't pull a stunt like that again, I assure you, young lady."

"Why not? I'm over eighteen and free," Meadowlark countered quickly. She momentarily studied her father's countenance and realized he genuinely cared about her. She kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, Daddy, but I must follow my own path. There's too much violence in this world. All we want is peace and love. Is there something wrong with that?"

"I don't expect there is anything wrong with wanting peace and love," Alvin finally allowed. "I can't see how spending three days in the rain and mud proves anything."

"It was fun, Daddy," Meadowlark said, grinning. Doesn't that count for something?"

"It wouldn't have in my day," her father remarked. "We acted more civilized."

"But that was your day. I'm living in a different generation, and this is how we handle things," she explained cautiously. "I still love you, daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart," Alvin Sinclair stated, hugging his daughter. He was glad she was back home again.

Meadowlark and Mellow Melon headed upstairs. They showered, changed into baby doll pajamas, and sat yogi-style on the twin bed. Together, the girls talked about their future plans. Meadowlark didn't tell her father about Lennon's ideas about joining a commune.

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