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Lou
05-30-2006, 10:13 PM
The Saturday before mother’s day I was in a restaurant eating breakfast thinking about my mother, she passed in ’94. It had been five years since I had been to LA (lower Alabama) to visit her grave that was at my thirty-year class reunion. While setting there feeling blue Hank William’s “I’m so lonesome I could cry” came on and that made it worse.
Hank is known for country music but many of his songs are “blues.” I have been to Montgomery at midnight on that hill overlooking the Alabama River and had a drink and talk with him. I know I’m crazy but I haven’t gone insane yet, at least I don’t think so.
The next day, mother’s day, I went grocery shopping for my wife we both hate to do that. While there I saw a CD with Don McLean and Croce on the same disk. McLean had a monster hit the year I graduated, ”American Pie” and IMO Croce is one of the best country singer/songwriter of all time.
American Pie is eight minutes long and uses imagery, much of which is religious and biblical So there has been a lot of speculation what it is about but like the bible it clearly says what it is about just as the bible does.
McLean or Croce are much of blues singers but McLean does have one song “Starry Night/Vincent” that is about an artist that killed himself. The closest I’ve ever gotten to real art is running up the steps at the art museum at Philadelphia. Vincent’s pictures, especially his early ones, were often of the Peasants as he saw them. Showing the effects and reality of their hard lives. Their features were accented and dark and give a dramatic effect. And some are almost or faceless like they were there but not seen. Croce did much the same but on a different type of canvas.
Vincent grew up in a religious home and studied to be a preacher and missionary. But he was feverish at these pursuits that he got fired. He spent time in asylums never got recognized much during his life often trading his paintings for a meal up till he shot himself at 37.
I went to LA this weekend and hat a great time. My wife suggested that I ask my older sister to go with us. I tried calling her but couldn’t get through which was good so I went to see her. We had grown apart the last few years. We met up with our younger sister that lives down in LA and reconnected.
I didn’t stop by to see Hank, just as well I hadn’t drank for over ten years.
Don’t know were to put this, maybe the trash bin. But it shows how my brain flows with confusion but it makes sense to me. It also shows how I see God working in my life.

Paige
05-30-2006, 10:39 PM
Thats cool, Lou!

I like Don McLean, and especially his "American Pie". It is a classic.

I am so glad you got to reconnect with your sister and had a good time. I reconnected with an old friend from high school last week and I definitely feel like it was God ordained. I love the feeling of just 'being in the flow' with God.

Paige

Amie
06-01-2006, 10:19 AM
Don’t know were to put this, maybe the trash bin. But it shows how my brain flows with confusion but it makes sense to me. It also shows how I see God working in my life.

I'm not sure my response will make much sense either, lol. I felt a real connection with you on an emotional level, hearing the songs you listed in my head as I read your story.

Those moments when we can sit and be with our siblings, without the politics and mess of adulthood, are like feeling the ocean spray on your face. I cherish them.

Amie

backtothefuture
06-01-2006, 01:34 PM
Lou,
After reading your post, I decided to reply to my Sister in Law today. She is a very difficult person and most everyone up here in my family actually doesn't like her. But I keep thinking, that down deep inside there is a soft spot in her that wants to be loved just like everyone else. I am usually the only one in the family that will even talk to her, so I decided life is to short for all the gunk we bring into it and wrote her back.
Another song that I think says a lot is the song "When I was 17" I know that is dating me.
The American Pie song. Well, I never get tired of hearing it.
My husband and I haven't talked to his brother and wife who live three blocks from us in 10 years. I wish we could just erase everything that happened and just be a family again. I would be so willing, but my husband is not.
I am glad you had the opportunity to be with some of your family.
I think, life is suppose to be about relationships. Easy and Hard, its where we learn the very essence of who we are and what we are made of.
Blessings
Nancy

christyG
06-02-2006, 05:22 PM
I loved your post Lou. That's the stuff of great writing IMO.:clap2:

I would also add that you said that the closest you'd come to art was running the stairs...I thought that what you shared was very "artistically" written if that makes sense.

Christy