Here is a headline on a story I found on my computer this morning. “New tick species spreads in the U.S. – Here’s what you should worry about” Man that really ticks me off! Just who in the heck do those folks at MSN think they are, presuming that my life is do dull that I need them to tell me what I should be worrying about?
I can just imagine what that staff that is turning this stuff out looks like. They must have tiny cubicles in the office and a sad collection of losers all rewriting scare stories based on their real life experienced the night before. I’ve got news for the guy that wrote that lead. Buddy, those are cockroaches you are experiencing.
Now, here is what you really must be worrying about. Money, romance, health and the government. But better yet, take the advice of Mad Magazine Hero Alfred E. Neuman who was evidently a renowned expert on handling fear. He asked, “What me worry?” Long ago I heard that FEAR was simply False Evidence Appearing Real. I would rather read something constructive like “Here are ten ways to not fall down this morning.” Or maybe, “You too can become a regular fellow.” What about “Eleven things you can do today so that your neighbors will not realize you are senile.” Any one of those is better than “Here is today’s top fear of the day”
What worries me is getting this newsletter past the censor and out on time. Now that is something real which I can wrap my mind around. My computer might drop dead. I might get finger spasms that will not allow me to press SEND. Or, I might be attacked by an old tick species.
At one of my recent presentations for seniors locally I talked about my experience on a troop ship in 1953 when I volunteered as a presenter for Special Services. Luckily a great band with a leader who sang just like Louie Satchmo Armstrong was lacking a drummer and they accepted me to play with the band. Our group would gather at a room assigned for rehearsals and several of us would gather there early whole a great Banjo player who called himself Bill Baily would sit with us on the steel floor of the ship waiting for the door to be unlocked. About the second day a lyric popped into my head and I worked with the other fellows and came up with the lyric of my song titled “Goodbye Yokohama Hello Frisco.” Our ship a Kaiser troop carrier build for World War II was crowded with us G.I.’s heading home from duty in Korea and Japan. We were all returning, many for discharge from the Army after completing our tour of duty or our time in service. We were going home and so the song lyric, Goodbye Yokahama, Hello Frisco sang by the dancing Happiness Boys, the quartet we put together was well received and we had to do a number of encores.
About ten days later I arrived home in Detroit. I was Honorably discharged and as a civilian I was driving for the first time in about seventeen months. I turned on the radio. About the only music I had been exposed to in Korea and Japan was the constant playing of Patty Page’s rendition of Come on to my house, my house, my house” The first song I heard was Joni James singing “Why don’t you believe me.” I cried. I was deeply moved. She was singing that song just for me. Just a few weeks before I had discovered this Joni James CD at our local Paws Forever Resale Store. At the end of my session I played that song for my audience some sixty five years later. When I witnessed the reaction of one of the attendees. A fellow in a wheel chair I approached him. I asked him who his favorite singer was. He responded “Joni Jamrs:” I played more of the CD and when the music came on he got this look I can only describe it as a look of ecstasy. It was a beautiful smile as if the music had cast a magic spell on him and he was as happy as a guy could be. I was really excited by this because I had seen a video showing the power of music with folks with Alzheimer’s and with Dementia. As I flipped from song to song the two of us sat there singing together and I just bet you, if I could see myself I had that same look of joy on my face. In fact I can’t stop the happiness that I feel just sharing my story with you. Truly, “Music hath charm to soothe the savage beast.”
May God Bless America and bring us world peace.
What a cool story. Three cheers for the power of music!