rocking chair memories . . . . .
Posted on December 29, 2011 with 0 comments
another chapter of spontaneous drivel as we begin to go "out with the old and in with the new".
seems at a certain age a stubbornness refuses to allow you to believe that the "old" has been kicked to the curb as yesterday's news and the "new" has become, well, the "new". memories seem to manifest themselves and are viewed over time in the style of the period in which they happened. are they black and white like my memory of the beatles on the ed sullivan show, are they "colorized" after the fact like water-colors as ted turner did with so many old movies, or are they viewed in brilliant 3D (no special glasses required)? do they begin with the 5 4 3 2 1 countdown of old movies, movies which always had the dot or the x in the upper right corner which told the projectionist it was time to change reels, or do they pop onto the screen giving you the opportunity to view in small or large screen, original format or letter-box? however they manifest themselves they are what they are, part of what made you, part of what you love, part of what embarrassed you, or part of what scared the hell out of you . . . . rocking chair memories if you will.
the mind is a wonderful thing. somehow over time it allows the uncomfortable, bad or sad to be pushed to the end as the credits roll showing mainly highlights of all the pleasure, the good, the happy you experienced. a song pops into your head and you remember where you were, who you were with, what station in the car was playing. you perhaps pass a place and only see what used to stand in it's place. you view a current photo of someone you knew many, many years ago and see them as they were, not what the new photo represents.
our individual "groups", our specific demographic profile if you will, becomes much like that. . . happenings recorded in a dusty old textbook we occasionally pull from the shelf to jump start the process of remembering. our "groups" become passed by by the "new", we still vainly attempt to embrace the "new", whether it is music or fashion or causes, to become part of the now, to still be relevant and not the nostalgia of the past, yet try to never lose the experiences of the past.
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things". but memories do take us back. they allow us to view as a child, speak as a child, understand as a child. i refuse to "put away childish things". i refuse to totally throw out the old because all of those childish things have made me what you get today, a guy providing spontaneous drivel which you may read or not, which you may agree with or not.
a group of us ex-pats in russia know we have made rocking chair memories, memories we will pull up as we sit on the porch in the rocking chair with a subtle smile as we watch the film roll, knowing we may never see each other again. but we know we will embrace those rocking chair memories, not dwell on them and accept the new for what it is, an opportunity to create more rocking chair memories.
enough of that, and where THAT monologue came from, i don't know, but there it is . . .
a wonderful christmas back in the united states. it feels so good to be surrounded by family after a long six months in russia. i head back to russia soon and intend to not allow another six months pass before placing my feet on the ground of my homeland. :) the past six months though saw me experience more travels throughout russia, more trains, more buses, more cars as i passed through cities, towns, and villages. i have had the opportunity to perform more of late in front of a full band which was kind enough to allow these old "pipes" to perform not only my songs before a generous crowd but to also delve back into the early memphis rhythm and blues and the rock and roll which were part of my childish era. those of you who have performed know the feeling. you are transported into another time and another place while still in the now. be the performance good or bad, it is what it is, and becomes a great addition to those rocking chair memories.
i hope for nothing but the best in 2012 for all of you as we watch the future unfold before our eyes. i hope you all experience the type of kindness you have shown me in the past, i hope you find the time to pull that dusty book off the shelves and think about what made you what you are, or what you are yet to become, or even what you may not wish to be.
so here is to a great 2012!
oh, and my thoughts for you in the coming year . . . .
don't run with scissors, don't stare at a solar eclipse, mind your p's and q's, take the time to watch a sunset or a sunrise, share a smile or a kind word with a stranger, be mindful of patience, and most of all, keep making those rocking chair memories. they are free, they never expire, no "use by" date and they provide hours of entertainment and amusement . . . . . . .
all the best,
roger
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