“Staring into the windows of the world, yeah” – Shanice
I read your posts and your tributes to mothers everywhere. I read your stories about your celebrated day as a mother, or your tribute to your mother, or maybe your story about the mother that has passed on from this life that you still honor with the memories and the stories you carry with you. I read your famous quotes about mothers, your posts about iconic pop culture mothers, and I’ve even watched your Mother’s Day videos. Just know I’ve seen you, I’ve admired you, and I’ve appreciated you and your words from afar.
Though Mother’s Day 2023 is in the past, I’m neither late nor early with this post for my mother. She lives in a world where days and years and months and holidays have no time nor meaning. Time doesn’t really exist in the life of a person living with dementia. I’ve written about it on this site before, but 3 a.m. or 3 p.m. matters not. Christmas and birthdays hold no significance anymore for her. Two days or two months – there is little if any difference. Life. Just. Is.
I’ve often thought what purpose does dementia serve? What is God trying to teach each of us that live with or help care for loved ones battling this terrible disease? I don’t really have any answers, well any good answers that satisfy my finite brain. And so, I go and I visit my mom at least once a week, and I often leave questioning why. She doesn’t remember. Maybe the memories will materialize for her someday in Heaven. I’m not sure. It’s a pleasant thought, but the actuality of it really won’t be a pleasant thing to look back on. I’ve thought maybe some version of my dad’s spirit hovers nearby like a modern day version of Patrick Swayze in the movie “Ghost.” Maybe he’s smiling or at least comforted in that fact that I keep her company for a few hours doing arts and crafts or driving her to Sonic for a Cherry Limeade.
My mom’s verbal skills have deteriorated to a point of very simple words, a few phrases, and a lot of non-coherent gibberish. But I’ve come to realize that as my mom’s mind has deteriorated and her physical abilities diminishing, I’m still left with one last semblance of a loving mother and fiercely loyal wife. I’m left with one simple act of recognition. It’s the unmistakable wide-eyed recognition of someone she knows and loves. She’s not sure if I’m her brother or her son or her husband or just a familiar stranger, but she knows me.
And so she smiles. And for now, that will have to be enough.
“Time came and showed me your direction Now I know I’ll never ever go back“
Born in “the Steel City,” Shanice Lorraine Wilson, now a mother of two, turned 50 years old on Mother’s Day. She’s had Broadway experience, Grammy nominations and stints in the fashion and fragrance industries during her lifetime. A talented performer and singer since the age of three, Shanice has had a few other minor singing hits throughout her career, but she’s best known for this hit as an 18-year-old released in October of 1991. The song topped the U.S. R&B/Hip-hop charts and reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
It’s a classic early 90’s dance song and video featuring some vintage 90’s choreography and a mid-song rap break that was all too common in the early-to-mid 90’s. With its’ infectious groove, and Branford Marsalis’ sax solo, I dare you to listen and not be in a better mood afterwards. So, thank you Shanice and a happy belated mother’s day/birthday combo to you! Written by Jarvis La Rue Baker, Sylvester Jackson, Narada Michael Walden, and Shanice Wilson, here is the sweet voice of Shanice with “I Love Your Smile”…
“You know she comes around She about five feet four From her head to the ground” – Them
Them
Thanks for checking back into part two of my St. Patrick’s Day 2023 post (If you missed part one, you can scroll down below this post, or click here for part one published a few days ago).
Well, my baby is a little taller than 5’4″ but she comes around and we go places and we see things. One of our favorite cities for a day trip or a quick overnight trip is Tulsa, Oklahoma, because of its’ proximity (just about 90 miles west) from our home in NW Arkansas. We’ve been to numerous plays, concerts, parks, dining establishments (shoutout to downtown Ti Amo’s, our favorite), and retail outlets throughout Oklahoma’s second largest city.
If you read the previous post then you know I mentioned Daniel “Danny Boy” O’Connor and featured his rap trio, House of Pain. O’Connor was born in New York in 1968 and moved to L.A. when he was six. It was in L.A. where he would meet his rap partner, Erik Schrody, aka “Everlast” and form the group with the hit single “Jump Around.” O’Connor played the role of art director for the group by designing logos and branding, and he was also the hype man and co-rapper with Schrody on their three albums. After the group disbanded in 1996, and drugs and alcohol sidetracked O’Connor’s life on multiple occasions through the years, Danny Boy sobered up in 2005. It would be a few years later that a new passion would capture his imagination, and it just happened to be located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“Let’s do it for Johnny!“
(Photo by Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty Images (L-R) Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, and Patrick Swayze)
A lifelong fan first of Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation and later of S. E. Hinton’s book The Outsiders, O’Connor took a visit to the house where the lead characters of the film, the Curtis Brothers, lived while he was at a tour stop in 2009 in Tulsa with his supergroup La Coka Nostra. A 13 year-old O’Connor had found relatability in The Outsiders’ story of broken homes and brotherly love many years earlier when he first saw the movie.
Unable to afford the house when he first encountered it, he bought it in 2016 sight unseen for $15,000. When he first went inside it was falling apart, but with the help of friends, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, local business and individuals who volunteered, the restoration began.
Despite the fact that his only memorabilia from the film was a poster, he decided to turn it into a museum. Preserving the Curtis brothers’ home gave O’Connor a chance to give back, and “to be of service in his new surroundings.” Before he undertook the extensive project, however, O’Connor sought out the author, S.E. (Susan Eloise) Hinton, a lifelong Tulsa resident.
Hinton, who had written the book as a teenager, gave more than her blessing to the project. She made the first large donation – $10,000, and provided O’Connor with a brown leather jacket worn by both Dillon and Howell in the film. In 2016, the street signs on the corner were changed to “The Outsiders Way” and “The Curtis Brothers Lane.”
O’Connor’s original estimate was that it would take six months to get the museum up and running. After raising funds the house went through extensive renovations to restore it and maintain its authenticity from the film. A GoFundMe was set up for additional funds, and notable donors through the years have included Jack White and Billy Idol. Also to raise funds, screenings of the film were organized in which C. Thomas Howell (aka “Ponyboy”) attended. After 3 1/2 years of work, and rehab estimates in the $175,000 range, O’Connor opened The Outsiders House Museum in Tulsa on August 9, 2019.
Many of the original stars have stopped by the house and as recently as October of 2022, Ralph Macchio returned to Tulsa on a tour to promote his new book and made a stop by the house. Today, the 1,400-square-foot interior is filled with furniture, memorabilia, paintings, foreign editions, rare photographs by David Burnett as well as many wardrobe pieces and props. As my wife and I wandered through the house and gift shop, we had almost long forgotten that Diane Lane was the lead female, and that one-time rock star Leif Garrett played a prominent role as a “Soc” in the movie.
Gift shopGift shop memorabiliaThe Curtis brothers’ kitchenMore memorabilia inside the housePonyboy Curtis’ bedroomMy 5’7 babyIn front of the black 1949 Plymouth Special De Luxe driven by “Two-Bit Matthews” (played by Estevez) rests on the lawn and I’m also now wearing the shamrock Vans that were my dad’s.
For myself, the movie was one of those that came on TNT or TBS a lot during the 80’s. I would always catch bits and pieces of it through the years making sure I tuned in for the rumble between the greasers and the socs in the park, or for Dally’s last stand at the end of the movie (He’s just a kid!!!). I didn’t come from a broken home like the Curtis brothers or like Danny Boy O’Connor and I never particularly related to one group or the other like so many of S.E. Hinton’s readers did through the years, but I always appreciated the depiction and tale of the two classes and their very real struggles as teenagers. Not that it was unusual, but I also think we all had that friend that signed those end of school yearbooks with the phrase “Stay gold.”
Even my 8th grade friend Paul was quoting “The Outsiders” back in my 1985 yearbook.
Neither my wife or I had seen the movie in probably 30+ years so we re-watched the movie (streaming on HBO/Max) a day or two after getting back home. I didn’t realize how short the movie actually is barely clocking in at 90 minutes, and forgot about the very fake background when Pony and Johnny are marveling at the golden sky while hiding out from the law. Regardless, it was fun watching all of these famous actors just starting out in the early 80’s. Someone could probably remake the movie but there’s just no way they could put together a comparable fairly unknown cast like the one that assembled under the watchful eye of Francis Ford Coppola in Tulsa, Oklahoma so many years ago.
Courtesy of Twitter: Ralph MacchioC. Thomas Howell and Danny Boy O’Connor
“If all I get is sobriety, then that connects me with a power greater than myself, a power of my own understanding, and it allows me to trust God, clean house and help others — and my whole primary purpose is that. Not to buy sneakers or to make money or to shine like fluorescent. That is not the deal. The deal is to trust God, clean house, help others and if I stay sober one day at a time, I can stay happy, joyous and free.” – Daniel O’Connor
Good for you, Danny Boy. Good for you and may you forever stay gold.
“You know she comes around here At just about midnight She make ya feel so good, Lord She make ya feel all right”
Formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1964, the band Them featured legendary lead singer Van Morrison along with Alan Henderson, Ronnie Milling, Billy Harrison and Eric Wrixon (also a founding member of the band Thin Lizzy). Morrison would leave the band in 1966 after two top 10 UK hits, “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” and “Here Comes the Night.” But it would be today’s featured song and video that would receive a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1999 and would be listed as #81 on VH1’s list of the 100 greatest rock songs of all-time, and is frequently mentioned among Rolling Stone’s Greatest 500 songs of all-time.
Written by Morrison when he was just 18, and covered by The Doors and Patti Smith among others, this song was the B-side of the single “Baby Please Don’t Go.” Enjoy this classic song from 1964 featured prominently in the beginning of Coppola’s film from 1983 adapted from S.E. Hinton’s book in 1967 based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Got it? This is the Irish band Them with Van Morrison and “G-L-O-R-I-A.”
Here are those first few minutes of “The Outsiders”featuring “Gloria…”
Thanks for reading, and thanks to Danny Boy O’Connor for his love and passion for a group of “greasers” in late 60’s Tulsa. And of course, a happy St. Patrick’s Day to you, and may you find a rainbow that leads you to a pot of gold. Or, at the very least, stay gold.
Anyone steppin’ to me, you’ll get burned” – House of Pain
(L-R “Danny Boy,” “DJ Lethal,” and “Everlast” aka House of Pain)
Top of the mornin’ to you, and welcome to part one of my two part St. Patrick’s Day celebratory post. And of course, word to your moms, and at my age word to all the moms out there doing their thing.
Those of you that know me or frequent these parts on occasion know that I grew up in an Irish-Catholic family. My dad and his siblings grew up on the Jersey shore under the watchful(?) eye of Irish parents. My dad and myself were both born in March, and my dad was a basketball coach for 30+ years, so those of you that enjoy college hoops know there is no better month than March. If I didn’t have enough to celebrate already, I also got married in March of 1999. Yes, the 31 days sandwiched between the cold days of February and the rainy days of April are magically delicious! And suffice to say, St. Patrick’s Day has always been kind of a big deal though I imagine if I’d have grown up on the east coast closer to where my dad and his family hailed from, St. Patrick’s Day would have been an even bigger day of celebrations, parades and family get togethers. Instead, I grew up in Oklahoma, and St. Patrick’s Day was more – wear some green, eat some mint chocolate chip ice cream, and watch highlights of the celebrations in Boston and New York on the 10 pm news.
(Dad sometime in the early to mid 2010’s representing and wearing his Irish hat and the shamrock Vans on his feet I bought him)
“I’m coming to get ya, I’m coming to get ya. Spittin’ out lyrics, homie, I’ll wet ya.”
St. Patrick’s Day is actually a cultural and religious celebration, but to move past the usual cliche of drinking to celebrate the day, and all of the creepy leprechaun costumes, one has to actually understand the significance of the day itself and who this mystery man of faith was. The celebration of Ireland’s foremost patron saint, a non-believer for the first 16 years of his life, is held on March 17th, which is the traditional date of his death in or around 461.
Much is still up for debate or speculation when it comes to the history of the man who would later change his name to Patrick (from the Latin name Patricius, which meant “nobleman”). Many believe his actual name to be Maewyn Succat who was born in or around 373 in the lowlands of Scotland (though some believe it was Wales instead). The point is that he wasn’t of Irish descent.
The tale goes that Maewyn was kidnapped while he worked as a shepherd in Wales. He was taken by Irish pirates who were attacking his family’s estate, and he was sold into slavery in Ireland. According to his autobiography or “Confessio,” he was imprisoned in the northern part of Ireland for the next six years tending to sheep and pigs. During this time it is believed that Maewyn Succat found religion. He believed that his kidnapping and enslavement were punishment for his lack of belief.
At some point, he escaped from his captors back to Britain where he had a vision that the people of Ireland were calling him back to minister to them about God. Feeling ill-prepared (don’t we all at times?), Succat traveled to France where he trained in a monastery, and some 12 years later returned to Ireland as Patrick, a Bishop with the Pope’s blessing.
Though he was not the first to bring Christianity to Ireland (an earlier missionary, Palladius, had already come to preach to the Irish), Patrick traveled around Ireland for some 20 years baptizing people and establishing monasteries, schools, and churches. By the time of his death, he had left and organized Christian church in Ireland as his legacy.
Let’s go, St. Patrick!
“Get up, stand up, c’mon, throw your hands up If ya got the feelin’, jump up towards the ceilin'”
Traditional Irish music, this song is not, but I must admit I loved this vibrant rap joint when it was released in 1992, and if I’m being honest, I still love it to this day though some of the lyrics didn’t age well – a point St. Patrick surely would address with our Irish brothers Danny and Erik were he still alive. I do think, however, he would appreciate the Biblical references. How can you not respect a boast of having more rhymes than the Bible’s got Psalms?
House of Pain, a reference to the H.G. Wells novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” was an American hip-hop trio formed in the early 90’s in Los Angeles, and caught lightening in a bottle for a few minutes in 1992. House of Pain was made up of Irish-American rappers Everlast (Erik Schrody) and Danny Boy (Daniel O’Connor) who formed a trio with Latvian-American, DJ Lethal (Leor Dimant).
The group peaked with this first single from their debut album. Produced by DJ Muggs of the rap group Cypress Hill, “Jump Around” shall I say hopped up the charts (hey-oh!) reaching #3 in the U.S., #6 in Ireland, and is still played at many sporting arenas throughout the country to this very day (Wisconsin football anyone?). So, get out your Larry Bird #33 jersey, and your favorite Irish beverage because The House of Pain is in effect, ya’ll. Join our angry Irishmen as they command you to get out your seat and jump around! Jump around! Jump up, jump up and get down!
As an added bonus (and one I mentioned above), no one does “Jump Around” better than the fans at Camp Randall for Wisconsin home football games. If you’ve never seen it, check out this piece done for ESPN that features a visit to the stadium by Everlast in 2022.
Thanks for reading and stay tune for a related part two to this post.
“(Shake it up, baby) Twist and shout” – The Isley Brothers, The Beatles, Ferris Bueller… Bueller?… Bueller?…
Sometimes I marvel at the wondrous, magical buffet of endless choices and possibilities known as the internet. I have two pieces of vintage 80’s photography equipment. One is the all plastic One Button Polaroid camera produced and sold beginning sometime around 1981. The other piece is my (one-time parents’) GE HQ Movie Video System camcorder for VHS circa 1988.
I took many a picture with my One Button back in the 80’s, but the main problem was the fact that the SX-70 instant film only contained a maximum of 10 photos. I could run through 10 photos really fast and my parents were not exactly going to keep funding the random photography whims of a preteen between 1981 and ’83.
The first VHS camcorders were released in 1987, so I thought this piece of equipment that my parents purchased was about the coolest thing ever. I used it all the time – family holidays, events, music videos, and driving around with some of my best friends in high school and college. I have hours and hours of old VHS tapes still sitting in a large tub in my garage just begging to be digitized. Some of my friends are begging that they don’t ever become digitized. I even found a brand new (still wrapped in plastic) VHS tape in that same storage container.
For the past few years, my workplace has always held their annual Christmas party in January after the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I suppose these things are not rare and practically en vogue now. The planning committee gathered a few months ago and (to my positive support) settled on an 80’s themed holiday party, so I thought I would add some authenticity to a party that was going to be attended by many that were not even born by the time the 80’s wound to an end nearly 34 years ago. The only problem is that I had no idea if either piece of equipment still functioned.
So one weekday night I sat down with both pieces and my computer. A very quick search on Amazon resulted in finding easily available film for the camera (now reduced to 8 photo packs). For the camcorder, I was able to plug it into a wall outlet and it worked. The two batteries I had in the case didn’t, so another quick search of Amazon and voila’ a battery was found and ordered as well as the film for the camera and a flash bar to make the already dark photos just a little less dark. Both packages arrived fairly quickly and I was able to test each piece of equipment. Both functioned initially so the next thing was to determine what my wife and I would wear to this event.
After gnashing of teeth and sleepless nights (ok not really), but after hours of internet research that included researching fashion styles for the preppy look, the prom look, the rock star look, and even the Miami Vice look, we settled on a classic 80’s movie look – Ferris Bueller and his girlfriend, Sloane Peterson.
Thankfully, the rumors that had begun to spread about my wife and I not being able to attend proved false. Apparently, my best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with the girl who saw me apparently pass out at 31 Flavors one night. Everyone thought it was pretty serious. It wasn’t, and so off we went.
“You know you twist, little girl You know you twist so fine Come on and twist a little closer now And let me know that you’re mine, woo”
For many latchkey kids, Ferris represented an idealism of sorts. He represented escape and pure freedom back in 1986 and a laissez faire attitude. It was freedom from parents, teachers, and generally anyone in authority. Some 37 years later, Ferris still represents those things but also represents a more innocent, simpler time in the lives of those of us who grew up in the 80’s. We can also give ourselves a different perspective through the experienced eyes of parents and even grandparents in some instances.
John Hughes classic still holds up over time and I think most of us, with years of experience behind us, can find new appreciation in the characters John created for the movie- not just Ferris, but in the underrated girlfriend Sloane Peterson, bitter, jealous sister Jeanie Bueller who gets some words of wisdom in the police station from a young Charlie Sheen, and especially in best friend, the cynical and downtrodden Cameron Frye, whom has issues with his father and needed the day off more than anyone.
“Come on, come on, come, come on, baby, now Come on and work it on out”
A few more photos from our 80’s party including a guest appearance by Prince Meythaler (far right).
When my wife and daughter and I went to Chicago seven years ago, we visited the former Sears Tower now known as the Willis Tower where Ferris and Sloane and Cameron visit during their skip day. The Willis Tower even pays homage to the movie on the 103rd floor where you can buy memorabilia or take an iconic photo looking down from the glass windows.
Myself on the left with fake Sloane Peterson and fake Cameron Frye to my right.
Today’s song version was over 20 years old by the time this movie was released, but thanks to “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” (and to a lesser degree Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School,”) the Beatles’ version of “Twist and Shout” reemerged onto the top 40 peaking at #23 in the summer of 1986. John Hughes was a huge Beatles’ fan and was rumored to have listened to The White Album everyday for 56 straight days during filming of the movie. “I quote John Lennon, ‘I don’t believe in the Beatles, I just believe in me.’ Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus.”
***As an aside, the creators of “Cobra Kai” are working on production of a Paramount Pictures feature titled “Sam and Victor’s Day Off.” If you’ll recall, in the original film, Sam and Victor were the valets who took Cameron’s father’s red Ferrari on a joyride through the city. No release date has been announced yet, but I do look forward to seeing what those two crazy valets did on their own day off of sorts.
The late John Hughes wrote the screenplay with Matthew Broderick in mind, so shake it up, baby and enjoy the next three and a half minutes from a movie that was the 10th highest grossing film of 1986. And no, the DJ at my party never played “Twist and Shout.” I’ll forgive him though as he looked a little too young to know any better.
As always, danke schoen for reading these sometimes silly posts. I really hope you get a day very soon where you just spend it being in the moment with good friends or family and enjoying every fleeting moment, because always remember…
“Let your heart be light. Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.” – The Pretenders
Many people, myself included, love this slow, wistful, nostalgic song first sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 film, “Meet Me in St. Louis.” Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane the song was (somewhat ironically in my opinion) sung by Garland in an attempt to cheer up her little sister (played by Academy Award winner Margaret O’Brien) in the movie. For me, the song falls under beautifully sad, kind of in the same bane as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” There’s just something inherently sad in the music even if the lyrics are meant to be hopeful and up-lifting.
The Christmas season itself is a blender of contrasting ingredients. At its’ best, it is a magical, joyous time and reflection upon a King born 2000+ years go. The season can also be full of exciting possibilities and anticipatory expectations. At its’ worst, it’s a despondent season full of melancholy, sadness, and possibly regrets. Honestly, I don’t mind a balance of both.
“Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore. Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more.”
Last week, I was scanning through an old photo album my grandma Ruby had put together many years ago. Amongst the pictures of so many memories and relatives not with us anymore was a card of some sort, so I carefully pulled back the plastic covering to read what was inside. It was a Christmas card written in grandma’s handwriting just a matter of days before her husband, and my grandfather Kay, passed away on December 21, 1975.
There is something remarkable about touching and holding a piece of history. I held it and examined it and ran my fingers across her message full of hope and excitement yet containing a small bit of worry and perhaps trepidation. I think about how hard the date December 21st must have been for grandma. I was only four when it happened so I don’t have any memory of that particular Christmas in 1975, but I never really remember her being sad during Christmas while I was growing up either. I do think it’s one of the reasons my parents made such an effort to be with her every Christmas though. We rarely ever spent a Christmas without visiting, and Grandma Ruby lived until the age of 102 passing away in February of 2019. She lived 44 more December 21st’s without grandpa. Amazing.
Many of you may be experiencing “the first Christmas since (fill in the blank) or without (fill in the name), and it may be a tough one for you. Last year was my first Christmas without my dad. This is the second year and it’s not a whole lot easier if I’m being honest. The memories of Christmases past occupy my mind frequently during this time of year, and it may be the same for you too. My grandma never remarried and I’m sure December 21st never got much easier for her, but the perseverance she showed is inspiring to think about. She kept going. She just went on living the best she knew how.
“Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow.”
The Christmas season is a time where dates seem to become more prominent, because December 25th holds such significance to many. Besides the 25th, we think about other dates – lost loved ones around Christmas time, new ones born around the holiday season, weddings, divorces, and the list of life events goes on. For me, it’s dates like the aforementioned December 21st, it’s also December 20th – the birth of my daughter almost exactly 25 years to the date of my grandfather’s passing. I remember how much that meant to me the day she was born. Her birthdate holds a historical celebratory mark in contrast to that day of the 21st, and I’m sure it wasn’t lost on my grandma. I also think of other dates during the holiday season – March 5th, September 4th, March 23rd, August 13th, September 18th, January 5th, and July 26th that all hold meaning and significance to me.
I know you have dates you hold close to you as well. What are the ones you think about this time of year and what do they mean to you? Do they cause you celebration and happiness or do they cause you some sadness and pain? You can list them in the comments without any explanation and I’d be happy to say a prayer for you and keep you in my thoughts.
It’s ok to embrace it all this time of year, and like my grandma, to go on living the best you know how.
“Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.”
The lyrics for this song have been revised and rewritten through the years including in 1957 when Frank Sinatra made a request of Martin to “jolly” them up a bit, which Martin obliged for Sinatra. The Pretenders had their own beautiful version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” on the first holiday cd I ever purchased, “A Very Special Christmas.” The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine in 1987 in honor of his late father who had passed away in 1985. The album and subsequent follow up albums also doubled as fundraisers for Special Olympics organizations (of which Jimmy’s former wife Vicki was a volunteer) around the country and has raised over $100 million.
That’s Jimmy Iovine in the middle above flanked by Bono, Annie Lennox, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Boss, Run-DMC and the late Jam Master Jay. There was no official video for this particular song, but have a listen to the song on vinyl as Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders perform “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas…”
As a bonus, if you’ve never seen “Meet Me in St. Louis,” here is incomparable Judy Garland and the original version (and lyrics) of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas…”
As always, thanks for reading, and have a Merry Christmas
There’s a wonderful scene in the comedy series “The Office” where Ed Helms’ character, Andy Bernard, says that he wishes there was a way to know you’re actually in the “good ole days” before you leave them. The timing of this particular scene was perfect and delivered beautifully by Helms. It was one of the final episodes of the show, and the poignancy of the moment is just so very relatable.
Glory days yeah they’ll pass you by Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye
High school athletics does go by that quickly. When you’re young and in the moment, it seems almost preposterous that it could all actually end one day. I recall the days of two and three hour basketball practices that seemed like two and three days. The cold winter nights and the days between games were practically weeks apart. Whenever another week of school started on Monday morning, Friday night mine as well have been light years away. Now in my 50’s, those days really do seem like light years ago.
Last night, I was in Harrah, Oklahoma for a high school football game. There is always something special about a small town high school football game, but this one wasn’t an ordinary Friday night clash. It was a state quarterfinal playoff matchup between two teams from the lowest class of Oklahoma eleven man football – Class A. Sixty teams started the season, thirty-two of them advanced to the playoffs, but by this particular Friday night, those 32 had been whittled down to eight. Evans Field in Harrah provided the neutral site setting featuring the 12-0 Gore Pirates taking on the 10-1 Crescent Tigers with a trip to the semi-finals on the line.
I have an aunt and her two adult children (my two younger cousins) who hail from the small town of Gore in eastern Oklahoma. Known statewide as the birthplace of 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens, the 2020 census shows the population at just under 1,000 people. There was a decent chance that all 1,000 Gore residents were in Harrah on Friday night. My cousin Kasey joked that if you ever wanted to start robbing houses in Gore, tonight was the perfect time, because even the Gore police were in Harrah. The stadium capacity shows 2,700, and there appears to be equal amount of seating on both sides of the field, but on the side where the Gore fans sat, it was packed so do the math.
I arrived just minutes before kickoff and luckily, I found an open solo spot on the front row in front of my cousin Kim and her husband Ryan. My Uncle Rick, my cousin Kasey and his wife Mary, and Gore “superfan” (aka Mama Duke) – my aunt Sharon (Kim and Kasey’s mother) sat another row behind Ryan and Kim. We were all there to watch the Gore Pirates and in particular Kasey and Mary’s son, and Sharon’s grandson, Jackson Duke, a star athlete on the Gore Pirates. I say athlete because the coaching staff uses him like a Swiss Army Knife. He plays offense. He plays defense. He returns kickoffs and punts. Heck, the kid is even the long snapper. I did not see him with a headset on calling plays but, hey there’s still time this season. But when you play on a small school football team, you HAVE to have kids like Jackson Duke. And if you have enough players like that who can excel on both sides of the ball then you have a good chance of having a successful team and season.
“I had a friend was a big baseball player Back in high school He could throw that speedball by you Make you look like a fool boy.”
Jackson Duke photo credits to JIM WEBER/Special to the (Muskogee) Phoenix
Nothing quite captures a small town’s imagination, a town’s pride, and unites people like a bunch of 16, 17 & 18 year old’s with your hometown printed across their chests. It’s a brilliant part of our psyche. We all want to be part of something special, something historical. People don’t care about political views or religious ideologies at high school football games. They don’t care about how much money you have or how much education you’ve received. Hundreds of people gather at the intersection of pride and unity dressed in the same colors and they only care about if their team can score more points than the other team.
Part of the beauty of small town football Friday nights will always belong to the fans. Men shouting at referees for holding calls fifty yards away from the action (high school football fans have eyes like hawks apparently). Plenty of “let’s go boys!” abounded throughout the comfortable mid-40’s evening. There was a man behind me shouting “He was inbounds!” about a play some 60 or 70 yards away on the opposite site of the field where the play actually finished. Once again – fans with eyes like hawks. “I’m Journey’s grandma!” was randomly shouted by the proud grandma of Junior CB/WR Journey Shells to no one in particular and to everyone within earshot as she sauntered by me towards the end of the first quarter.
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar I was walking in, he was walking out.
Approximately half the team is made up of seniors (including Jackson). These young men will forever be bound together by a magical run that has them further in the playoffs and given them more wins than any Gore football team in history. Will it end in a state championship? It is certainly a possibility (25% if my math is correct), and that is ultimately the goal. But in 10, 20, 30 years it won’t really matter as much. These eyes of a 50 year old certainly see it differently than those of the 17 and 18 year olds running on green and white testosterone right now. This moment in time though, these moments in time, are really all about the journey. The destination is the state championship in two weeks on the campus of UCO in Edmond, but the journey is really the special part. It’s what these young men will recollect to their kids and grandkids and to each other one day. They’ll laugh and talk about touchdowns and interceptions and tackles and celebrations with their teammates and friends all under bright floodlights on patches of grass in Gore and in other small communities like Pocola and Colcord and Mounds. They’ll recall their parents and siblings and relatives and friends ringing cowbells and roaring in unison after every score and every defensive stop. They’ll talk about “Mama Duke” and their grandparents and uncles and aunts, and how an entire community of 1,000 strong was enamored with and cheered them on week after week. It’s ultimately about the brotherhood and the friendships that develop and are fortified with every snap, with every play, with every game that create lifetime memories, and will bond these young men and coaches together forever regardless of the wins and losses.
Last night Jackson Duke was responsible for two interceptions (one of which was a “pick-six” – an interception returned for a touchdown), a half-back pass for a touchdown, a couple of nice kickoff returns, and numerous tackles. He flexed after big hits on defense. He cooly and casually accepted congratulations for the touchdowns he was part of, and he helped to lead the Gore Pirates to a 69-13 win over Crescent (Gore scored the final 49 points to finish the game after leading just 20-13 early in the 2nd quarter).
The Pirates will face another 13-0 team next Friday in the state semi-finals – the Hominy Bucks, and if they can take down Hominy they’ll face another undefeated team in the finals (the other semi-final matchup features two more undefeated teams in Colcord and Fairview).
Pick-six for a TD by JD!
Kasey, myself and the fatheads. Photo creds to Mary Duke
Three teams will be disappointed over the next two weeks leaving a sole undefeated champion. But until the season comes to an end for the Gore Pirates (hopefully in two weeks in Edmond), I hope the fans and the coaches and particularly the players enjoy what’s left of this magical journey. I want them to enjoy the limelight, to enjoy the signs displayed by the local businesses, to enjoy the pats on the back, the recognition from their peers and from the town, to continue being good role models for future Gore Pirates, and I want them to be present in the moment. Yes, focus on the task at hand (beating Hominy), but also realize that this Gore Pirates football team of 2022 is in “the good ole days” right now. I certainly do.
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture A little of the glory of, well time slips away And leaves you with nothing mister but Boring stories of
The lyrics to the first verse of The Boss’ #5 hit from the summer of 1985, “Glory Days” are actually autobiographical. It’s a recount of a chance encounter Springsteen had with former Little League baseball teammate Joe DePugh in the summer of 1973.
This song has always been one of my top three favorite Springsteen songs. I think it’s just because of the nostalgic feeling that the song creates within me the older I get, but I even recall it resonating with me as a 14 year old when it was released in 1985. I’ve tried to feature it in different posts for years, but I could never get the post or a topic for it out of the “drafts” phase. Finally, I did. It made it into a published post. All it took was inspiration from a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds and the community that has rallied behind them. Thank you Jackson and thank you Gore Pirates.
And as always, thanks for reading.
sincerely,
the80’s
Go Pirates!
#1 Gore fan, Sharon Duke in the middle next to Jackson.
“Why don’t you get out of the nation” – Earnest Jackson featuring Sugar Daddy and the Gumbo Roux
My day job is as a banker. Writing is only a moonlighting gig when I’m inspired. As a banker, we discuss exciting things like interest rates for loans and deposits. We have fun acronyms like LTV and NIM and DCR. We talk about employment, housing, and costs. Oh, the costs! Costs for purchases. Costs for construction. Costs for developments. Costs, costs, and more costs.
And we also discuss the very present elephant in the room these days – inflation. We discuss inflation as a whole, and as a core number (excluding the volatile food and gas industries). We discuss how inflation might affect our region, our workforce, and our economy in NW Arkansas.
As a banker, I take an interest in these facts and figures and have to stay knowledgeable on financial topics, and so I listen to financial podcasts – many times on my daily commute. One of my go-to’s for many years has been NPR’s “Planet Money,” and that is exactly what inspired this particular post.
I don’t always catch every episode, but the recent two-part podcast (each episode is approximately 25 minutes and linked below) is a great listen. The two episodes combine the topics of inflation and music by featuring a largely-unknown, over-looked singer/songwriter and a song he recorded in 1975. The song had never seen the light of day… until recently.
It’s a fascinating tale which centers around a funky, R&B jam called “Inflation.” It was written and sung by Baton Rouge native Earnest Jackson with a backing band in 1975 called Sugar Daddy and the Gumbo Roux (if that isn’t a name for a R&B/soul band that originated in Baton Rouge during the mid 70’s then I’ll take my Boney M and Love Unlimited Orchestra albums and go home right now). The song was cut as a demo but was never released on an album or as a single. The band, at that time, included a few musicians that would go onto successful music careers and one in particular, who would become a very well known bass player (you’ll have to take a listen to the podcast to learn the identity).
Inflation in 1975 was very close to what it is today (approximately 8-9%), and it prompted Jackson to write the song in one sitting. Rising inflation is the enemy of consumers causing the cost of goods and services to rise much faster than wages. Our Federal Reserve attempts to maintain a healthy rate of inflation (2%) by raising or lowering interest rates to discourage/encourage borrowing and/or spending. Now, this post could get more technical and boring right about now, but I’ll spare you, and instead I’ll post a link to historical interest rates, and just skip ahead to the good stuff.
Earnest (pictured recently above) is the central character of the two-part podcast as the team from “Planet Money” is made aware of the song and begin their process to track down Earnest in an attempt to get the very likable man and his single, “Inflation,” released out into today’s music world. In the process, they try to give Earnest some long overdue fame by getting the song played on a popular local R&B radio station, and they even try to make him a little money if they can only navigate the tricky world of recording contracts, former bandmates, attorneys, and accountants.
As you can deduct from the Youtube video I’ve embedded at the end of this post, the “Planet Money”team was successful (the song is now on streaming platforms as well), but you’ll want to check out the highs and lows they went through in becoming their own music label and in becoming part of the chaotic streaming-dominated music industry today. I highly enjoyed it, and if you have some time you should also take a listen and stream “Inflation,” because in today’s inflationary world we can all use a few extra bucks in our pockets. It seems like Earnest Jackson is well overdue for a few of his own.
“Now people, stop what you’re doing, and listen to what I have to say, cause inflation is in the nation and it’s about to put us all away.”
Let’s hope inflation doesn’t put us all away, but in the meantime let’s keep Earnest trending towards superstardom! I’m doing my part. The word inflation has never sounded so soulful and so good as it does coming out of the mouth of Earnest Jackson. I dare you to listen and not tap your foot and sing along! Do you dig, sugar daddy? You will. You will.
As always, thanks for reading, and thank you Earnest for the part you’re playing even if it is some 47 years later. And let’s all hope inflation gets out of the nation sooner rather than later.
sincerely,
the 80’s (and sometimes the 70’s)
(Postscript: At the time of posting, the song had over 109,000 streams on Spotify since its’ recent release. I’ve personally been responsible for at least 10 of them… and more to come!)
“Yesterday I got so old. It made me want to cry.” – The Cure
I hate writing. I hate the random thoughts that come flying at me like jumbled puzzle fragments from an un-winnable Tetris game. Pieces of my life come at 2 a.m. scattered in no particular order… family… work… music… friends… fantasy baseball… house projects… partial ideas that begin the twenty plus blog posts I have still sitting unfinished in the queue. I hate the structuring of sentences and paragraphs, and spell-check. And the editing. Oh, don’t even get me started on the stupid, never-ending editing.
I feel like this is the kind of attitude I would have needed to be a member of The Cure back in the 80’s. I could be wrong, but I felt like they went through phases of light and darkness highlighted by depressing pop love songs.
So I’m taking a shortcut for this post. I’m copying and pasting. I’m mailing this post in. I’m taking a text conversation I had with my cousin Kevin the other day and laying it out so others can enjoy (or skip depending upon your desire). Feel free to indulge into our 80’s culture-related post for another 1000 words or so. It’s an easy follow with easy topics.
Kevin is almost exactly one year older, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, and now lives in North Carolina. I grew up in Oklahoma and now live in Arkansas. And that’s all you basically need to know except we text often and try to occasionally entertain one another.
Without further ado, here is the first (maybe last) installment of…
Texts with Kevin…
We pick up the ongoing conversation on a Saturday morning with Kevin watching “The Karate Kid”…
Kevin: You remind me of that lower member of Cobra Kai who’s a real loose cannon (Bobby, pictured above).
Kyle: I would have been the loose cannon on your high school crew as an “underclassman”. Your buddies would have been like “yo your cousin is loco, man.”
Kevin: In the end though he was the most moral of the bunch, apologizing for taking out his knee. Coming to the climax, it’s on CMT.
Kyle: Yeah (the redemption of Johnny Lawrence) is basically the whole point of the Cobra Kai series. But that crane kick was an illegal kick.
Kevin: The real fault ultimately lies in society’s treatment of these young men.
Kyle: I think there was a character in the original full length version that had your same sense of decency. Cutting room floor.
Kevin: There’s like intense screaming from Cobra Kai the whole time. yeahhhhh alrightttt
Kevin: see isn’t that “alright johnny!” guy the one who apologized to daniel son before? now the moral ambiguity is strong
Kyle: Boooooooo (me booing Cobra Kai and totally ignoring Kevin’s question about Bobby)
Kevin: It’s over Johnny yeah you did it!
Kyle: Illegal kick!!! Winner Lawrence! (from booing Cobra Kai to siding with Johnny Lawrence in one text)
Kevin: You’re alright Laruso! Thanks a lot man (quoting the final scene of Karate Kid between Laruso and Lawrence)
Kyle: That’s script writing in the 80’s. Right up there with Rocky’s speech at the end of “Rocky IV.”
Kevin: Ohhhh The Goonies is next. What a night of Movies. No more Yankees game for me.
(He’s watching these movies on his laptop)
Kyle: You should buy one of those things called a television one day.
Kevin: Nahh
Kyle: Watching one screen at a time is so primitive Kevin
Kevin: I’m usually also on Instagram ensuring my pre fontal cortex is further deteriorated
Kyle: Well I feel a little better knowing you’re paying attention to multiple screens at once. Life before cell phones was so boring.
Kevin: I know. Imagine planning your evening around going to the tv room, turning on the tv to a channel and sitting for an hour watching just that show.
Kyle: Did you have multiple tv rooms at your house growing up? I seem to remember an upstairs room where we watched tv but it was just you me and Bree (his younger sister) I think.
Kevin: Yes, the “3rd Floor.” It was basically an attic that had been converted into a tv room, it was also the only room with air co for a long time. And we had one small tv on the porch. It sucked though because if you wanted to get food you had to go alllll the way downstairs
Kevin: Yes exactly. I made Bree go down and get me stuff.
Kyle: How many times did she never come back? That’s something Kari (my younger sister) would have done.
Kevin: She came back but with less than I asked for. If I wanted 5 Oreos she’d eat two on the way up
Kyle: (me imitating Bree) It’s all we had left Kevin!
Kevin: The big thing was getting a chipped ham and cheese sub sandwich with ruffles chips piled high and a big glass of coke all the way up without spilling, because you had to keep the door closed to keep the cold air in. A lot of food was spilled on the landing
Kyle: (me imitating his parents now) You kids don’t spill anything on the stairs you understand!?
Kevin: The amount of pepsi and coke we consumed as kids was remarkable. It’s amazing I’m not a diabetic
Kyle: Dad used to bring home cokes and hide them. My big thing was trying to find the hidden cokes and then to see how many Ding Dongs I could eat in one night without getting in trouble.
Kevin: He used to hide them? Why? So your Mom didn’t know? My Mom would make cookies and they’d be gone in a day. I’d eat them for breakfast.
Kyle: No he hid them so Kari and I wouldn’t drink them all. Actually in retrospect he probably wanted to ensure that he had some for crown and cokes.
Kevin: Hahaha. We’d go through like 2 x 2 liters in a day. The Kerwins were not blessed with any kind of culinary knowledge
Kyle: Sometimes he hid the ding dongs or twinkies or cup cakes so we wouldn’t eat them all too.
Kevin: My parents thought corn flakes with banana on top of it was a healthy breakfast
Kyle: Haha. Yeah. Malt-o-meal was our “healthy” breakfast of the 80’s, but I would dump 2 or 3 giant spoonfuls of sugar into it.
Kevin: I also didn’t have a properly cooked piece of meat until I was a freshman in college. We went to this steak restaurant in NYC after a game, I was like “what is this paradise???”
Oh yeah my Mom was like “we don’t buy that sugared cereal in this house,” but we had a huge sugar dish full of white sugar I’d just cover all cereal with
Kevin: Yeah exactly. I’d layer the sugar in it. It’s amazing I didn’t become a meth addict
Kyle: My mom just completely caved. My dad tried to trick us into Grape Nuts or Raisin Bran, but Kari and I knew better. “Mom! We’re out of Cookie Crisp AND Fruity Pebbles!”
Kevin: I’m back on a cereal kick after not eating it for 20 years. Corn Chex drowned in Monk Fruit sugar! I think my Mom did buy Boo Berry once and I got completely cracked out on it
Kyle: Oh I could pound multiple bowls of Count Chocula in one sitting. I don’t think I’ve had a bowl of cereal in years. Mostly because the “milk” options are too confusing for me. And I just had to Google “Monk Fruit Sugar.”
Kevin: Yeah its low glycemic, for the aging man’s blood sugar. There would probably be protests down there if they stocked it – keep your damn hippie ways out of our grocery stores! Straight almond milk here.
Before we even knew what a text was we were Steelers fans in the early 80’s. Kevin is on the right, and I thought he was going to be 7 and a half feet tall.
“Go on, go on, just walk away. Go on, go on, your choice is made. Go on, go on, and disappear. Go on, go on away from here.”
Because my cousin relates to the angst of Robert Smith in the 80’s or maybe just because he really liked their music, whatever the case, making their debut on this site, here is Smith, Lol Tolhurst, Simon Gallup, Pori Thompson and Boris Williams better known as The Cure with their 1985 hit “In Between Days.”
Enjoy your crazy-haired, dark-dressing, angst-ridden goth pop, Kevin. Do you read me? I dare you to watch this video and not be happy!
As always, thanks for reading, and it’s always straight almond milk here at sincerelythe80s.
“Take your pictures down and shake it out.” – Foo Fighters
The wife and I took an overnight trip to Kansas City a few weekends ago. We had tickets for the Dodgers and Royals at Kaufman Stadium. My wife doesn’t want to watch baseball on tv, but she’s always very agreeable to a game in person. It’s the atmosphere. It’s the people-watching. Maybe it’s the $9 beers in souvenir cups. Whatever the combination, we found ourselves, KC hats properly worn, amidst a section of Dodger fans. Hell, a stadium of Dodgers fans wearing Kershaw, Betts, and Turner jerseys. Chants of “Let’s Go Dodgers!” rang early and often throughout a night that was scoreless through six innings thanks to the pitching of L.A.’s Tony Gonsolin and the Royals’ Daniel Lynch. I told my wife before the game that it would be a minor miracle if Lynch survived five innings giving up two or fewer runs. Somehow the holder of an ERA north of five gave up two measly hits to the best team in baseball before being lifted after five scoreless innings. The talent of the Dodgers would ultimately prevail in an 8-3 victory.
Hanging out by the fountains where we almost witnessed a KC fan get into a fight with three Dodgers fans. He wisely walked away.
But whenever the subject of the Kansas City Royals pops up, my all-time favorite Royal comes to mind… Buddy Biancalana! Well actually, in the early to mid 80’s there was one I favored slightly more, and he wasn’t just my favorite Royal, he was arguably my favorite player in baseball at the time.
George Howard Brett.
Tough. Gritty. Emotional. Brett played 21 seasons for the Royals. The Hall of Famer is one of the greatest hitters ever, and also the holder of one the iconic moments in baseball history.
My wife and I walked around the stadium and sauntered into the Royals Hall of Fame located just past the left field bleachers where all of the iconic Royals and newsworthy events through the years can be found. And there it was… in all of it’s glory… the bat.
Home plate umpire Tim McClelland cannot possibly like this photo.
Sunday, July 24, 1983 at the old Yankee stadium in New York City featured a matchup where both the Yankees and Royals were in the thick of the playoff race in their respective divisions. Temperatures were in the low to mid 70’s and Tim McClelland was the home plate umpire that day. Nearly 34,000 were in attendance mostly to cheer on their Yankees who were two games behind Toronto and Baltimore in the old AL East while the opponent Royals were just one game back of the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox in the old AL Central.
George Brett was a MVP candidate in the middle of a season that would see him hit .310 with 25 homers and 93 RBI’s. But coming into the 90th game of the season that day Brett was actually hitting over .350 at the time with 19 homers and 60 RBI’s. Those numbers even included a few weeks on the disabled list with a fractured pinky toe that he suffered when he apparently ran into a door jam in his house in an effort to watch good friend Bill Buckner bat on tv.
“Truth or consequence, say it aloud. Use that evidence, race it around.”
The Yankees held a 4-3 lead heading into the 9th thanks to RBI’s from Don Baylor and Dave Winfield. Prior to his final at-bat, Brett was 2-4 and now stood in the batters’ box facing Hall of Fame Yankee pitcher Goose Gossage. Teammate UL Washington was on base when Goose tried to throw a high heater by Brett, who promptly turned on it and hit it over the right field wall. And, well, then it got fun….
A couple of things stand out for me rewatching this video. One is how angry the Royals bench is at the poor bat boy for not getting Brett’s bat back into the dugout at about the 0:49 second mark. You had ONE job! Lol. Second is how well Billy Martin lobbied the umpires during this whole process. Where was Royals’ skipper Dick Howser during the whole time Martin is telling the umpires what should happen? And of course Brett’s manic reaction at being called out. I also didn’t remember that (then Kansas City pitcher) Gaylord Perry apparently took the bat from McClelland down into the tunnel and security and staffers were chasing him into the tunnel.
The Royals obviously appealed the decision to call Brett out. Thankfully then American League President (do the two leagues still have separate presidents?) Lee MacPhail sided with Kansas City citing the “spirit of the restriction” on pine tar on bats was based not on the fear of unfair advantage, but instead on the economics. Any contact with pine tar would discolor the ball, making it unsuitable for play, and requiring that it be discarded and replaced. This increased the home team’s cost of supplying balls for a given game. MacPhail ruled that Brett had not violated the spirit of the rules nor deliberately “altered [the bat] to improve the distance factor.”
The two teams finished the game a few weeks later on August 18th with Dan Quisenberry locking it down for the Royals in the bottom of the 9th officially giving the Royals a 5-4 win. Not surprisingly, Billy Martin and the Yankees played the end of the game “under protest.”
“There goes my hero. Watch him as he goes.”
Heroes come and go, particularly sports heroes when you’re a kid. My 1983 baseball hero, George Brett, was not my 1993 baseball hero, and my 1993 baseball hero was not my 2003 baseball hero and so on. Times and seasons and players change. That’s sports. That’s life. But when your hero is your dad, it’s an entirely different story. That one sticks forever.
The kid lost his dad way too young. I lost mine as a 50 year old in 2021 and it still sucks. I’m probably still oversensitive to stories of men losing fathers, but the kid is only 16. He needs a father more than ever at that age. He’s always wanted to be a drummer even telling comedian Dave Chappelle once that he didn’t skate because he didn’t want to hurt his arm. He wanted to follow in his father’s legendary footsteps.
If you missed the Foo Fighters tribute concert at Wembly Stadium dedicated to their recently deceased drummer Taylor Hawkins, then you missed this stellar performance where Taylor’s 16 years old son, Shane, sat in for a very impressive (borderline tearful) performance for the very fitting Foos’ song from 1997. Check out the Foo Fighters with Shane Hawkins on drums and “My Hero”…
Somewhere amongst the kid’s great hair, flailing arms, and pumping legs, Shane Hawkins is pounding out his hurt and his emptiness and it’s both beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time.
Here’s to you dear reader, and here’s to your heroes.
There are some songs that I never tire of. Songs that cause me to write sentences ending with prepositions. There are songs that cause me to pause, to reflect on events, reflect on friends and families and reflect about places in time. They cause my mind to wander like a never-ending restless night. They cause my breathing to beat in-time to the mid-tempo melodies and rhythms. These songs ease my tension, and these songs somehow fill me with the constant contronyms of happiness and sorrow giving their all in what at times feels like a heavyweight title fight. These are the songs I have no problem turning up every time they come on the radio. I don’t mind putting them on repeat in my headphones while the cursor searches for words on an empty screen.
This is one of those songs.
“We were young and strong. We were running against the wind.”
It was the dawn of a new decade when Seger released this song in the spring of 1980. It was a decade that unknowingly would forever rest within my core. One that would birth this unexplainable thing called a blog nearly 40 years later. I was just a skinny nine-year old kid in 1980 with a shy demeanor, curly brown hair, and just going about my business of being an adolescent growing up in a small town in Oklahoma doing things that other nine year old boys were doing – riding bikes through the woods, playing with Star Wars action figures, collecting baseball cards, and donating quarter after quarter to a company called Namco in support of a yellow dot-digesting sphere. We were busy shooting hoops, fielding ground balls on dusty fields, playing tag on the playground, and praying that P.E. class would include dodgeball that day.
There were no deadlines save the occasional book report. There were no commitments except those games of sport that were waiting for us every afternoon and evening during the summer. I didn’t care who our president was. I didn’t care about inflation or the GDP. I cared if Terry Bradshaw threw a touchdown pass. I cared if my dad’s basketball team won or lost. I cared about building the coolest treehouse ever, and I cared about creating fictional newspapers and making up video games in my head and putting them on paper for my friends. I cared about Billy Joel and Kenny Rogers and Kool and the Gang. I cared about the music then and I still do.
“(Against the wind) watch the young man run.”
In 1980, we were running against the wind, with the wind, in spite of the wind, it made no difference. The wind only mattered on the outdoor basketball courts and hitting golf balls around the neighborhood, and of course when the occasional tornado spun close by (it was Oklahoma after all). The wind was a mere nuisance for us much of the time. We were immortal in 1980.
We were the wind.
“Well those drifter’s days are past me now I’ve got so much more to think about Deadlines and commitments What to leave in, what to leave out.”
“I’m older now, but still running against the wind.”
In April of 1980, Bob Seger was already 35 and had just finished his ELEVENTH studio album when he released this song. It was the second single off of the album of the same name. The song immediately started its’ ascension peaking at #5 in June. Backed by The Silver Bullet Band, the album version features backing vocals by Bob’s pal, the late, great Glenn Frey. The song made a resurgence in 1994 when it was famously used in the Tom Hanks’ classic movie “Forrest Gump,” and its’ subsequent soundtrack.
“My mama always said you have to put the past behind you before you can move on.” – Forrest Gump
I know many Seger fans will choose “Turn the Page” or “Night Moves” or even “Old Time Rock & Roll” as the best song from his extensive catalog, but for my money give me the mellow guitar, the beautiful piano backdrop and Seger’s great lyrics. The song essentially is about growing older and confronting memories of the past and it seems to mean more to me as the years roll on even though I’ve listened to it thousands of times.
“Let the cowboys ride!” (I just wanted to include that lyric because I love it). A former high school cross-country runner, here is Bob Seger and the beautiful “Against the Wind…”
Whether you’re currently running with or against the win, I hope you’re still running. I still am.
sincerely, the 80's 