Memorial Day

We have seem to have forgotten what this weekend is for. I see people hustling along the highway heading to the malls with coupons in hand, trying to get to that sale. People are getting the grills fired up, cracking open a few beers and having a festival unofficially ushering in summer. 

Amidst all the barbeques, picnics and pool parties; I hope that we all can remember that this day is meant for our veterans. In a nation where our military is based on an all volunteer basis, it is the least we can do. This means that every man and woman serving, doing the job of protecting our shores, investments and allies; made the decision to sacrifice their lives for ours. Think about that, not one was forced in, dragged in the middle of the night and slapped with a gun, they decided to be honorable and selfless for their country and in turn for each one of us. 

During this election year I have heard a lot of people (pundits, commentators and politicians) describe what America is, what we need or should do in our future. We are becoming separated into Blues and Reds, but on this one day, it is my fervent hope that we remember that we are the Red, White and Blue. The soldiers who have served do not care about our political affiliations, they care only for our nation. For years we pledged it in school "One nation under God", maybe we knew better then, then we do now.

Unfortunately, when our vets come home it is to a nation that has a struggling economy, many have returned with physical and emotional scars. It is our duty and responsibility to them to help provide the support they now need. For our soldiers still serving, we can send a care package or a note thank you. It isn't much to ask for. For those willing there is a great program you can volunteer with called Operation Gratitude. 

So on Sunday, we should give gratitude and say thanks to our vets, past, current and present.  On Monday we should take a moment to give a solemn prayer to the memories of all who served. Take the kids to a local parade in your town to show your support before lighting up the BBQ's or dipping your toe in the pool. However you decide to do it, remember this day is meant for something other than shopping and eating. For all those headstones in a cemetery of a fallen soldier, there is a son, a daughter, a father, a mother, a brother and or a sister; who is no longer here, because they gave up their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms of this great nation.  There is nothing wrong with welcoming summer, but for one day, let us take a pause and tell a soldier you appreciate what they are doing, or have done. 

I know I usually give a quote to end my blog entries, but today I want to leave you with a few facts first. 

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and began at the end of the Civil War. The North and South had both decorated the graves of the fallen soldiers. The first official "Memorial Day" began in 1868, and was marked as a day to commemorate the soldiers who had died in the Union armies in the North and the Confederates of the South.  Marked with a parade and picnic at the gravesides. The tradition changed over the course of time, with what we now do in the twenty-first century, with parades on the last Monday of May.

and now for the quote; "Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored." - Daniel Webster

Happy Memorial Day and thank you to those who served and still do, 

gallantly defending our shores.

 

The Latest Fad

I honestly am so out of the loop when it comes to this obsession that many women are having with this book, 50 Shades of Grey, but frankly I don't get it. I am not certain if it's because during my single years (we will have to visit there so not to drag the hubby in this), I enjoyed my sex life.   I am beginning to suspect that plenty of women have been repressed, and are finding an outlet with this piece of erotic literature. Thing is, this story is not new. There was The Story of O long before Christian Grey and Ms Steele and in between there was The Gift of Submission. 

Perhaps it is that we have come a long way from the days of women hiding their sexuality, but then again there was that book in the 1970's that had a similar reaction called Wifey by Judy Blume. So again I am stuck as to the fascination with E.L. James and her trilogy. 

I have heard this book called "Mommy Porn", and "Soccer Mom's Guide to BDSM", the subject matter has received a lot of criticism, mostly from men. Which got me to thinking, if the women I suspect are repressed, it is the men who are their counterpart that are boring in the bedroom and are the harshest critics. No offense to the men, but I am hearing pundits and psychologists discussing this book and the women buying it. Even Dr Drew Pinsky has harshly criticized this book, saying the following;

"It is actual violence against women. I have to tell you, this is the part maybe I'll get heat for, but there is a lot of violence against children in this country. There are various kinds of physical abuse. People subjected to those experiences are especially aroused by these images. I'm not saying the average women can't be, but it's especially arousing for them."

Now I am sure for a moment a lot of women are going to attempt some of these "hot" moves from Christian Grey in the bedroom, but ladies please remember somethings are best left to you imagination. There should have been a sticker on the book saying DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ON YOUR OWN.  I do not agree with Dr Drew, this is a fictional work about what many believe is sexual deviant behavior. The story however is about a little more than this, and the BDSM aspect is arousing, and does not mean that women have rape fantasies they want acted out.

As for the book itself, I did not find the writing all that sophisticated, nor could really get into the protagonist, that is just me and my opinion. The sex scenes were steamy, but lacked some credibility in the Master/slave relationship in comparison to The Story of O or the Sweet Surrender Series (another piece of erotic lit to get you going). 

I think the reception to 50 Shades is what is garnering our attention at the moment, more than the quality of the work itself.  Like most fads, this too will pass until something else catches our eye. Until then I am sure that riding crops, whips and paddles will see a sudden surge in sales. Women will be a little more wicked in the bedroom, and mates will enjoy the ride (pun intended). 

Maybe though we should take this opportunity to exercise the demons that lie in repressing our sexuality, and take some time to discuss and discover our needs in the bedroom. The one thing that the themes to these books is the woman's submission. Perhaps we are getting tired of making all the decisions, initiating conversation and intimacy. Submission is something we long ago abandoned for women's lib. Maybe, just maybe we can relinquish some with the one person we should, our sexual partner, this is  possibly the greatest trust exercise any of us can practice. 

Either that, or we can continue to read erotic lit, eat some Haagen Daaz  and fantasize. 

No quotes tonight, just a question. Have you read this book? or the series?
Until next time... 

I am NOT a morning person

There are many reasons why I love having a blog. First and foremost I feel that my posts allow me to hone my writing skills. I have noticed that there is more fluidity when I begin to type,less noise and this clarity is transferring to my manuscript. Secondly, I can share some wisdom or wit with others, so far I have received a warm reception. Finally, if I am going to be honest, this space gives me a place to rant about things that bug me, things that also seem to bug you all as well. Today's blog is one of those days!


Let me preface this by stating I am NOT by any means a morning person. I am so certain of this fact, that I have made a policy (since I can remember) not to accept calls before 9:30 am or before I have had my first cup of coffee. I tend to be abusive to those that break this rule with the exception of my mother, sister and husband. Now it isn't like I am not awake, I get up at 6am to wake up my kids, but the little one doesn't leave until a few hours after my eldest, so my coffee time is delayed. A few friends have on occasion broken the rule and have found themselves on the other end of my tirade, but then again I have forewarned them. 


The tirades I give to friends and acquaintances are not laced filled with obscenities; those are reserved for "special" people. Yesterday morning at the ungodly hour of 8:31am I received such a call. Looking back, I feel sorry for the poor bastard, but I was back in my bed since my little one still was sleeping until the disruption. Here is our conversation, please forgive my gutter mouth, like I said I am not a morning person.

Phone (Ring Ring)
me (bleary-eyed, groggy and hoarse): 'Hello?'
Chipper eager voice:  "Good morning, may I speak to your husband?"
Me (waking up & curious): "May I ask who is calling?"
Chipper schmuck: "Well it's not necessary, I can speak with any adult in the house."
Me (now getting angry since I know this isn't important): "What are you selling?"
Chip the schmuck: "Oh no, not selling, just asking for contribution to the NY State Trooper Police Benevolent Association and I ..."
Me (officially PO'd): "I swear by all that is Holy if you do not remove my number from your list I will hunt you down and you will need to call the police for help!"
Schmuck (now bewildered): "There is no reason to threaten ma'am."
Me (getting ready to take the train to crazy town): "There is when you call me for bullshit at 8:30!"
(I hang up the phone)
It is now 8:37 am, and here comes my little one. "Mommy I want breakfast please!" There go my extra zzz's.


The clock now says 9:00am and I am in the kitchen, tending to the little one who is going to school at 12noon. I feed her breakfast, and get ready to start making my coffee. I am interrupted with the ringing of the phone. Looking at the caller ID, and don't recognize the phone number. Again, I apologize, I really cannot stress how much I hate the morning before coffee. I am great after, but to be truthful this isn't how I am once I drink some coffee, it's just before that is bad. Although to confess, I still despise telemarketers.


Phone (Ring Ring)
Me (annoyed waiting for coffee to finish steeping): "Hello?"
Another schmuck: "Yes hi there, I am looking for Mr Benjamin"
Me (rolling my eyes): "What for?"
Idiot who has no idea what is about to hit him: "Umm yeah, well this is Tommy calling from Proactive."
Me (trying not to cuss): "What is Proactive?"


Now let me stop and pause right now to explain. I didn't recognize the name of the product because I do not have any cognitive thoughts, other than care for the kids; before I have had my coffee. So when I asked the question I was not being sarcastic, I was still in my walking around functional coma. Now back to my verbal assault.


Idiot Tommy from Proactive that is about to cry: "Proactive is an acne medication that ..."
Me (now completely on the verge of a psychotic break cutting off the 2nd schmuck of the morning): "Listen my husband does not suffer from acne, and we are on the DO NOT CALL LIST! Take our number off your call list."
Idiot (now taking his life in his hands being assertive): "Well we aren't calling you, we are calling him."
Me (PSYCHO): "LOOK HERE MOTHER FUCKER, THIS IS MY PHONE, MY TIME IF YOU CALL THIS HOUSE AGAIN NOT ONLY WILL I SUE YOUR COMPANY BUT I WILL MAKE IT MY MISSION TO HACK YOUR ACCOUNTS FIND YOU AND CALL YOUR ASS EVERY FUCKING DAY AT 7AM!"
Whimpering idiot Tommy: "There is no need to be so hostile, I noticed your hostility since I first called."
Me (Still PSYCHO): "WELL YOU CALLED ME, JACK ASS, I DIDN'T CALL YOU!"
Tommy the ass pushing his luck: "You don't need to be so rude."
Me (agitated and thinking how can I hack this company directory to hunt this guy down): "NO, Rude would be me blowing a rape whistle into the phone!!"
Shocked, whimpering Tommy the ass from Proactive: "Well I don't need to hear you curse at me lady."
Me (Full Blown PSYCHO): "YEAH, WELL GO TELL YOUR MOTHER ON ME! JUST DON'T EVER CALL ME AGAIN YOU DUMB ASS!"
Idiot Tommy: "I don't see what I did to you."
Me: "Really? You called to sell me crap I don't need, and all before I had my coffee!"
Hanging up for second time.

Now I know that some of you are aghast at my behavior. It is shameful and if I were still a practicing Catholic I would have to make a trip to the confessional. Okay, I admit that I went nuts, lost control, I am not a morning person! Shoot me! Just don't ever call me in the morning before my first cup of coffee. Still I have to wonder what was the point of registering my numbers on the DO NOT CALL LIST if these people are going to call me anyway.


Side note: I haven't received another call from any telemarketers since. I suspect that I have been tweeted about by the poor saps that called me in the morning. Maybe they collectively warned other telemarketers not to call my number. Nah, just wishful thinking!!

Quote time, and yes even for this I can find a quote or two:

"A morning without coffee is like sleep." ~Author Unknown
 
"I'm old enough and cranky enough now that if someone tried to tell me what to do, I'd tell them where to put it." ~Dolly Parton

"I'm multi-talented: I can talk and piss you off at the same time"~Author Unknown

"The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Happy Mother's Day

This Sunday we celebrate Mother's Day. The one day a year when we collectively take a pause to celebrate the woman who gave us life. Think on that, the one day, not weekend, or the month, just ONE DAY. Everyone on Earth has a mother. Some are wonderful and some should have sought psychological treatment. I want to focus on those of us who are good at our job. We have helicopter moms, working moms, soccer moms and super moms, the key word here is "Mom". I am a mom, mother if my kids are annoyed with me, mommy when they need me. I love the mommy days. My children range in age from eighteen to four years and all are girls, which means chances are one day they too will be moms.

Every year when this day comes around I brace myself, because even though this day is supposed to be MY day, in the house I am still doing my due diligence of tending to my children's needs. Moms never get a break, not even on Mother's Day! We are the backbone to the family, the glue that holds it together. Our jobs include knowing where every item in the house is located at all times, being able to play referee when the occasional squabble breaks out, be fashion advisers, lovelorn assistants, and medics for all emergencies. Some of us cook, clean the house, act as laundress, chauffeurs, sometimes have to tackle new math problems and so help me, know all the latest slang and cyber hieroglyphics. Our jobs are not easy, and the pay is very little, but a kiss or hug from your child in gratitude is sometimes enough. We do not take vacations and is the one job where we can say; if we are out sick everything falls apart! God bless my husband, but to be honest he is too incompetent to do my job! I am not even sure he knows where the juice boxes are located, or what temperature you use to clean whites.

Mothers begin the journey into this life long career with the physical abuse of our own bodies, being fattened and contorted to give a new being life. We then undergo one of the most painful and grueling process of giving birth, only to be reminded, from your at times snarky teenager, that you chose to have them, they didn't ask to be born. Our bodies become like that of a combat warrior, surviving the nine months of hell it took to get here, then all is forgotten when they place this child in your arms. We mothers coo incessantly with pride and joy, excited at the anticipated journey where we will act as guides to our children through life. There will be trials, there will be hard times, but, along the way there will be new discoveries and bliss, making all the sacrifices we do seem well worth it.

It takes a special kind of woman to be a mom. It is in this role we are on call twenty-four hours a day for seven days a week. No break, no lunch hour, no paid vacation days, yet we take to it with delight. In no other job have I held previously did I have to do so many tasks at once. It is a job you cannot quit, no matter how taxing the responsibilities are to these little people. There are those days when you can even forget your birth name, after hearing "Mom" being sounded off throughout the house, followed by demands, pleads and the ever so appealing whine. When these moments happen I found it best to make an announcement that "Mom is unavailable to leave a message at the beep, or call George" (my alias unbeknownst to them). The beep never comes. While I find this slightly humorous, my kids are generally left confused. Humor is perhaps the one thing that most mothers keep in our arsenal to help us endure the exhausting feat of raising these independent personalities, into productive members of society. Without our sense of humor, we would be wearing new white coats, the ones with the arms that wrap behind the backs and left alone in a sparsely decorated rubber room. I know to some of you the thought of having a few moments alone, no matter how it comes,does sound refreshing and appealing. Still I think we will sojourn on, for there is a light at the end of this tunnel known as Motherhood.

I am fortunate to have had my mother show me what a good mother is. Asides from imparting me with her humor and wit, she taught me patience, consistency, the difference between rewarding and spoiling, and compassion for others. The most important lesson she imparted on me was love. My mother taught me how to love and how to give love unconditionally, best of all how teach my kids to recognize love. There are days, after dealing with my own children, I feel compelled to call her and apologize for whatever ills and stress my childhood might have brought upon her. I know she finds this quite entertaining and also rewarding. After all, she did give me the infamous "Mother's Curse", you know this one; where you wish upon your own child to have one just like them one day.

So when Sunday morning comes, and we moms get the traditional breakfast in bed of burnt toast and bad coffee with the cards and home made gifts, we will smile and say thank you. Knowing all the while the mess in the kitchen that awaits us, remember we did sign up for this. Cherish these moments, for one day, in a blink of an eye it will be part of days gone by and we will receive the obligatory Mother's Day phone call. Leaving us longing for the noise, mess and home made cards and gifts. 


On Mother's Day take a moment, and enjoy your child(ren). Play referee if you must and tackle the kitchen mess, but remember to savor the moments. Think of your own mom and give her a call to say "Thank you". After all, that is all any mother wants, to simply know that their children are grateful for the hard work that we do. We just want to know that we are appreciated.


Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's in the trenches!  To my own mother, there aren't enough words to express the gratitude and love I have for you. Thanks Maman!

Now you have my take on motherhood, and of course I will leave you with some quotes. These by a few funny mom's trying to do as we all do; survive motherhood;

"When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway."~ Erma Bombeck

"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them."~Phyllis Diller

"I know how to do anything—I'm a mom."~ Roseanne Barr

"I take a very practical view of raising children. I put a sign in each of their rooms: “Checkout Time is 18 years.”~Erma Bombeck

"Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young." 

Reality Bites

Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. My favorite part is the middle, that is the teeth of the matter, the heart. Then again I love a good beginning, the set up, laying out the scene, preparing me for what should come. The end however, not so much. Here is where we are sometimes met with a let down, the climax is over, and to be honest if the book is good enough I hate to say good-bye to the characters. The same is said for a good movie, or television show. The key to all of these things is good writing. You have to have a story teller, to convey the idea to people. It can be fiction or fact, everything has a story. Thank God for that, otherwise my lofty goals are for naught. 

However, there is a growing systemic problem that is beginning to corrode the creative process of producing good works on film and television. What is this purveyor of doom in the modern world? Reality television. I know I am sounding off like a scene from The Music Man shouting "what's wrong right here in River City", but it is the truth.

They say that television is a reflection of society and what it values. I have to say if it is, we are collectively in trouble. Please understand I am not complaining about Talk Shows, Variety Shows, or Cooking shows, not even the news (although I do have a beef with the media, and we will get into that in a moment), this is a complaint about watching self indulgent adults behaving badly. This is what is being passed off as television. Little by little I am watching the erosion of quality scripts, being quickly replaced with what some feel is "REAL". 

Let us examine what the networks are calling "Reality". Allegedly unscripted shows with scripts and takes to be edited. I will not call out any one particular show, they all seem to follow the same format. Pretty young women, handsome young men, someone yelling and fighting, getting attention. Maybe toss in something scandalous or salacious for good measure. This is NOT quality. I do not know of one single parent who catches an episode of any of these shows and thinks; "Gee I hope my son/daughter can grow up to be just like Reality Star X." Nor do I know of anyone that is glad to have another well written show cancelled.

It is a systemic problem, and to be truthful the only reality that is being reflected is the greed factor of the Network executives saving money by producing trash. In the 1990s we would call this kind of television "Garbage TV".  Shows like Jerry Springer were not must watch TV, but viewed as televised train wrecks. Now we have these same people, who were once viewed as pathetic out of control lost souls, becoming the modern day celebrity. They have not won an Oscar or an Emmy, nor would their talent for trash talking and table tossing be considered for a SAG award, yet here they are gracing the Red Carpet at these same events. I think the final straw for me was upon visiting colleges with my daughter, one mentioned that "Snooki" spoke at the school. Seriously, this was a selling point? To mention that a woman whose highlight is that she got punched in the face by a guy in a bar, was a speaker at the school is not impressive!

This past Friday night I had to say goodbye to a good show, not great, but it had good bones. In Plain Sight had its series finale. I didn't understand why a show that had good ratings, by all means viewed as a hit is being cancelled. It appears that the horses have left the stables on this one, and if we the viewers do not get riled up we will have more nonsense on the boob tube, finally earning its moniker. If we took action, which by the way is not yelling at the networks, but boycotting the sponsors, attention will be paid. This is one area where we hold the power, because the bread and butter for every network is in its advertisers. Second to that are the ratings. So I am imploring you all to cut it out with riding the "reality television" bandwagon and demand that we have quality shows once again. Unless of course you enjoy having over one thousand channels and nothing new to watch that truly engages you, not just titillates you.

There must come a time when we draw that proverbial line in the sand, I believe the time is long over due. When technology has allowed us access to so much, why are we willing to settle for so little.  Earlier I mentioned I had a few words for the news outlets as well., here it comes. They (news media) are not helping us in this fight, if anything they seemed to have hitched their wagons to the that of Reality TV. When I was learning about journalism one thing sticks out in my head that the professor told  us, news should be Fast Accurate Correct and True and inform the public of the events that effect everyday life.  Today, top news stories include snippets from TMZ or some reality star's newest relationship. This is not news, back in the day we called this gossip. I am certain that the likes of Edward R Murrow and Walter Cronkite are rolling in their graves. It is a sad day in America when it is not the economy or presidential election that leads the news, but Snooki going into labor. I believe we are on the cusp of such a thing occurring, so brace yourselves because it is a straight shot into hell when that day finally comes.

Perhaps it is the writer in me that is frustrated, or the fact that as I approach middle age, nostalgia makes me yearn for a time gone by. Whatever the reason, the issue still exists, and to be completely honest with you, this is not the legacy I want to leave my kids. Bad enough I am sure my use of AquaNet in the late 70's and early 80's has attributed to Global Warming. Regardless of the whys, hows or the guilt of global warming, it is important that something is done before we are no longer contributing to our society with great performances,


Tonight's quotes on the subject of television;

"Television could perform a great service in mass education, but there's no indication its sponsors have anything like this on their minds." ~Tallulah Bankhead

“Real love involves a foundation of respect, honesty, and trust, concepts wholly missing from the pale imitations hawked to us by the folks who script 'unscripted' entertainment.”
― Jennifer L. Pozner 

“History is gossip that's been legitimized, and that's really the case when you get into some of the Roman historians. Wow! They'd be right at home on reality TV.” ― Esther M. Friesner

"If I wanted to watch cat fights, see the latest tacky fashion and hear people scream all day I would never have left the city"~ TV Blog commentator (when asked about Real Housewives of New Jersey)

Farewell to the King of the Wild Things

“Oh, please don't go—we'll eat you up—we love you so!”  

MAURICE SENDAK 

JUNE 10. 1928 - MAY 8 2012

Lately it seems as though this blog is becoming a place for me to say goodbye to the people of the past. While I was writing at the paper, my first job was writing the obituary, I am beginning to feel as though as I am reliving my past career once again. This time the literary world is mourning the loss of Maurice Sendak, who passed away earlier on Tuesday.  Some of you may not be familiar with his name, but I am certain most of you are well acquainted with one of his most famous works; "Where the Wild Things Are".  To me, he was much more than that one book, to me he was the gatekeeper to the world of imagination. That one book changed everything for me at the tender age of six. 

I still can remember the excitement I felt when I first read this story, sitting in the school library at Immaculate Conception on the floor cross legged in my uniform engrossed with the drawings. I knew I was Max and when I got home I too would be able to travel though the days and weeks, into the month and year onto the ocean just past  the forest that had grown in my room. I couldn't wait to see the wild things gnash their teeth and roar their terrible roars. What Maurice Sendak did in that little book was draw a dream that enveloped me and encouraged me to read more. I never lost my desire to read and to dream. That same desire is what fueled my yearning to absorb more books, which in turn helped create my need for words. It is also the same craving that has given me the drive to write my poetry and now my manuscript. From one book, like a flash of lightening, my imagination was given birth to and the longing of more places that my mind could visit and create was unleashed. 


"Where the Wild Things Are" was not Maurice Sendak's only creation, he had many others turning Children's Publishing on its ear with his characters being more mischievous, more imaginative. His infamous illustrations pushed the envelope for many, being viewed as too intimidating for a young audience. I have to admit that when I first saw the monsters created by Jim Henson for Sesame Street, I was not afraid. Looking back now I have to wonder how much did that 1963 book and illustration influence Mr Henson.


Being an author of his own children's book was not his initial start. Maurice Sendak began his career as an illustrator. Using paints, pencils and color he created scenes that could engage a child's mind. I can remember getting my hands on another mischievous character named "Little Bear", also illustrated by Mr Sendak. 

Today in a world filled with electronic gadgets, video games and portable televisions some believe we are losing the ability to capture readers, especially young ones. I argue only if we don't expose the newest generation to books like those of Maurice Sendak do we face such a fate. As a mother of two, I gave my daughters a copy of that book, and had them learn to read it so they too can find themselves traveling into the forest. I celebrate with them as I read them that story, encouraging the little one to get loud and jump around when the "wild rumpus starts".

I am an aspiring writer with dreams of finding success, not in selling numerous books (although that too would be nice), but to know that the world I wove with my words allowed someone else to travel with their imagination. To have a reader venture into a world I created, where its beginning was simply started in a dream, transcribed onto paper. 


So tonight. as I read that very story to my child before bed, in hopes her own creative mind will spark, I will close the book and think back to myself at six, sprawled on the floor and thank Maurice Sendak. Thanking him for having created a world that allowed me to be wild, free and to roam wherever my mind and words could take me.  

             “And [he] sailed back over a year
              and in and out of weeks
              and through a day
              and into the night of his very own room
              where he found his supper waiting for him
              and it was still hot” 
                         ― Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are 

I thought I would share a few quotes, some that surprised me, by Maurice Sendak himself;

“Peter Rabbit, for all its gentle tininess, loudly proclaims that no story is worth the writing, no picture worth the making, if it is not a work of imagination.” ― Maurice Sendak, Caldecott and Co.: Notes on Books and Pictures

“Children do live in fantasy and reality; they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember how to do." ~ Maurice Sendak 

“F**k them is what I say. I hate those ebooks. They can not be the future. They may well be. I will be dead. I won't give a s**t.”
― Maurice Sendak

“I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more.” ― Maurice Sendak

And The Beat Goes On

Today we say goodbye to another artist from the soundtrack of my youth.  Adam Yauch aka MCA from the Beastie Boys passed away earlier on Friday. His music with the Beastie Boys came in the 80's when much of Hip Hop was new, influencing future generations. I was one of the millions of "kids" that was a fan.  Admittedly, "Fight For Your Right" was my theme song, probably still would be if I didn't have to do that pesky thing most of eventually do,... grow up and become a responsible adult. My condolences to his family, the Beastie Boys and the fans.

Today it dawned on me, that little by little, I am saying goodbye to my soundtrack. My life had been scored with music and many in the industry have gone to play in a larger band.  In the recent years we have bid a fond farewell to Robert Palmer, Ike Turner, Isaac Hayes, Aaliyah, Lisa "Left-eye" Lopes, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Maurice Gibbs, George Harrison, Jason "Jammaster J" Mizell, Luther Vandeross, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Don Cornelius, Dick Clark, and now Adam Yauch. The list is becoming endless.  Even a local New York radio station, KISS FM 98.7 has gone off the air. Still, I can remember dancing to their music on my radio in my pink floral bedroom. I can remember getting ready for a date, or going clubbing with my friends with the radio playing in the background as I applied my makeup.

In my mind's eye I am still sixteen, lip-syncing to my hair brush. I am still the young girl learning new dance steps and getting mix tapes from boys trying to woo me.  I savored their music, and those times, but I am not sixteen anymore. Although at times wistful for those days, when the world was still new to me and whenever I was sad I could listen to a ballad. When Hip Hop music was in it's infancy, playing the vinyl (yes I said vinyl) of Rappers Delight until the needle wore a groove in it.  The soundtrack that helped launch me into adulthood, romance, marriage and rescue me during my divorce, slowly is coming to a close.

While I was reflecting on my past radio loves, I watched my own daughters dance around to their music, creating their own soundtracks. I smiled watching the older one try to teach the little one how to "Dougie", reflecting on my own days of the cabbage patch and running man. Although the music tracks that are generally played in my home reflect a newer generation, I am happy to know music is still a great part of my life.

There is a quote by Nietzsche that comes to mind as I write this blog; “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” I have always heard the music, and I am grateful to the artists who have shared their talents with us over the years.  I have lived and I relied on music to get me through the tough times, and ease my soul during the trying times. I have celebrated with joy and merriment, all while gyrating my hips to the beating tempo of great music. 

So I thank them one and all, past, present and future for sharing their souls, their music. Most of all thank you for giving me such great theme music and a wonderful soundtrack.

No quotes tonight, but I am leaving you with this video from the theme song of my youth!

In memory of: Adam Yauch

 (August 5, 1964 - May 4 2012)