Stand By Me

This video, a cover of Stand by Me by Ben E. King brings both tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.

Musicians, literally from all over the world came together to produce this memorable tune and videos.  The organization, Playing for Change, is a “group of artists and inspired people who have come together to connect the world through music.”

Waiting

Waiting on the World to Change.

If you haven’t heard this John Mayer tune, you need to.  The video, from youtube is below.

I gave the CD from which the song originated, Continuum, to my daughter, Sarah, last Christmas.  I hadn’t heard it, but after listening to it with her, it was “ripped” to my iTunes directory for my listening pleasure.

Listening to the first song, Waiting for the World to Change, reminds me of words I would have used 40 years ago.  Those same words also bring tears to my eyes, as I see the dreams of my children.  I can’t help but see my daughter, Sarah, and feel hopeful, when I hear this verse of the song.

One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting (waiting)
Waiting on the world to change

Dr. Seuss

I was reminded of the joy of the words of Dr. Seuss the other morning, when my teen daughter came downstairs wearing a t-shirt with one of his quotes.  It’s been too many days now, I couldn’t tell you the quote without asking her to produce the shirt for me to read.

When my children were young, I read Doctor Seuss books to them all the time.  Over and over, as children love the repetition.  I’m certain I enjoyed the words and the experience of reading as much as my kids did, as the author was positive, witty, and inspiring.  Valuable words for both young and old.

Let me share some of his good words:

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!”

“If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good”

“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” (one of my favorites)

If you have any thoughts
Or words you would share
Just add them to comments
Just add them right there

Veteran’s Day

My only excuse for not posting an article honoring our Veterans is that my mind was occupied yesterday, on that eleventh day of the eleventh month, with other serious matters.

Those courageous men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation, especially in time of war, should be remembered and honored.  Whether or not we believe a war is right, these folks served and put their life on the line for their nation.

Sanford Watzman, my father, was such a man.  He served in the Pacific during World War II, enlisting in the Army on his 21st birthday, one day after Pearl Harbor was attacked.  In the honor and memory of all Veterans, I’ve posted some links to my father’s story below.

• In Memory of My Father
• World War II Memoirs (Part I)
• World War II Memoirs (Part II)
• Another WWII Veteran Story
• Veteran’s Day

National Unity

Found floating around in that great ocean of electrons commonly known as The Internet.

The election is over,
The results are known.
The will of the people
Has clearly been shown.
Let’s forget the quarrels
And show by our deeds.
We will give our leader
All the help that he needs.
So let’s all get together
And let bitterness pass,
I’ll hug your elephant
And you kiss my ass.

Yes We Can!

As I perused my ballot, two large pages, heavy in text on both sides, I felt the significance and history of the moment. Leaving the polling place on a golden fall morning, the honor and privilege to be able to vote was on my mind.

By 7:30 on a pleasant fall evening, the television was tuned to the election returns, with the expectation of a long evening laying ahead.  As I emailed my son in Pittsburgh, the computers and pollsters projected an Obama victory in his now home state of Pennsylvania.  Then Candidate Obama was one step closer.  A hour later, Ohio went the same way.

By 11pm, Senator McCain was calling President Elect Obama, and graciously speaking to his hard working supporters and a watching nation.  Finally, around midnight, Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States spoke to the world.

There were few dry eyes in that Grant Park crowd, these eyes are not dry even as I write this, while listening to portions of his speech on the morning news.

“Yes we can!”

Yes. We can move forward undivided. Yes, we can have hope for our future and the future of our children. We can elect a black man to the highest office in these United States.

“Yes we can!”

For What It’s Worth

On this historic evening while they count the votes for Election Day, 2008 in the United States, I’m reminded of this song from 1967 by The Buffalo Springfield.

The lyrics for For What It’s Worth follow:

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, now, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

See Ya. Goodbye.

Ok.  It’s not pretty, this video.  It’s poorly lip synched, but I think you’ll get the idea.  The band is Steam, and they did the original version back in 1969.  Which would be the year after I graduated high school.

Yunz (that’s Pittsburgh talk) can sing it Tuesday night as we wave “bye bye” to the Republicans and that joker of a President they call “Boosh.”

And no, I don’t think I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Quotable

I haven’t done this for awhile.  And it’s great fun shuffling through all the amazing quotations out there, picking a few here and there that peak my interest.

“To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself.”
— Albert Einstein

“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.”
— Ellen Goodman (Journalist)

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”
— Albert Einstein

“You’re never too old to become younger.”
— Mae West

“I have not lost my mind – it’s backed up on disk somewhere.”
— Unknown

“Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure.”
— The Bible

Ignorance Rules

My post yesterday about the racism, hatred, and religious prejudice espoused by a sign in front of a Cincinnati hardware store got me thinking about some of the ignorance I’ve seen bantered about recently.

• This stuff about Senator Obama being a “terrorist” or having “terrorist connections.”  How in the world could such an accomplished man, Harvard graduate, attorney, and Senator in the Congress of the United States get away with such connections?  Think about it.  If you can think.
• The idea that there is scientific evidence that the world was created only 5000 years ago and that “man walked with the dinosaurs.”  Where’s the proof that this is nothing more than “wishful thinking” at best?  “Wishful thinking???”  There’s thinking in that “idea?”
• And while we’re on this topic, it’s hard to image that we’re still debating about the teaching of evolution to our children.  I thought that was settled with The Scopes Trial back in 1925.
• Barack Obama being a Muslim is bantered about by the wingnuts and others.  He has clearly stated his belief in Christianity.  And if he is a Muslim?  What’s the problem?  I always thought the US to be a nation that believed in religious freedom.
• In health class at the high school my children attend, there is a section on sex education.  Except that a whole bunch of information is left out.  Abstinence is the only thing taught.  Ignorance rules.

It’s no surprise to me that our nation has lost its way.  People listen to this blather and accept it as fact without so much as checking the facts themselves.  I realize I’m showing my own bias here, but it seems to me more folks need to turn off their radios and quit listening to the wingnuts spewing their hatred, anger, and prejudice.  Maybe read a book or talk to their neighbors.

As Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun, and radio personality used to say, “Wake Up Uhmericah!!!”