Ramblings of an EdMan

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Archives for January 2013

Crying Again with Johnny Cash

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No one makes me cry with Johnny Cash. It’s not close.

A little over 11 months ago on February 25, 2012 it was grieving for my father-in-law’s pending death. This year it’s for my dad’s limited time on this earth.

His voice is just hauntingly beautiful especially late in his life with his American Recordings.

So going to pick some other Johnny Cash songs that are getting to me right now.

The first is from American IV “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. Again Mr. Cash just totally deepens an already beautiful song. And it’s a song about love. My mom and dad are a dyad and people who have always been deeply, deeply in love. As were Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. And my father in law and mother in law Walter and Dottie Maheux.

Then there is “For the Good Times”. My mom and dad have had a lot of them. And I know she is grateful that for the first 4+ years of my dad’s brain cancer they were able to spend time together. Including an RV trip from PA to Phoenix to Boise, Idaho just this summer. I am really worried about my mom without dad.

And here are some from the first post. One is Johnny Cash’s stunning cover of the Beatles “In My Life.” We don’t know how long we have on this planet so cherish the good times and try to bring joy.

Another amazing cover is from my mom’s favorite band Simon and Garfunkel, and one of her favorite songs “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” I am swimming in troubled waters, and it’s important to cry sometimes. Especially when I have time to reflect.

And we are all mortal on this planet. Eventually it’s our time. Dad’s time is going to come soon. Sooner or later God will cut you down. Looks like for my dad it’s this winter. I am mostly ok with that now. I have had great time. But I do worry about my mom, I worry about her a lot.

And thank you everyone so much for your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot.

Edmund

Bill Cunningham New York ***1/2

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New York is a amazing place. Especially it’s fashion industry and society parties.

Bill Cunningham became a part of the city. His society column and “Out on the Street” captured both the doings of all the philanthropy and the street scenes of the city.

His “Out on the Street” column is as good a fashion history of anything produced in the last 50 years.

Fascinating man. Completely absorbed in his work and a deserved legend. A complete iconoclast.

Fascinating ethics too, especially in the bizarre worlds of celebrity and photography. Even when he shoots 2-3 society events a night he won’t take any food or water from the hosts.

Well worth seeing.

For a person who was so often in the public, remarkably guarded.

There will never be another Bill Cunningham.

***1/2.

A Great Night of Poetry

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Had a good day after a long week.

Went out to the Ice Bar over Joe’s NY Pizza on Fore St. And met two cool people, would go there again. Really liked the garlic knots. #consider

And then got to Port Veritas as Lauren Zuniga was just performing. There is a reason she is one of the best slam poets in the nation and the world.

Great stuff. She is a rockstar, and here is proof. And she has a cool blog too.

And it was an excellent Super Bowl Slam for a spot on the Indy Slam and Port Veritas poetry team semi-finals.

And I was very happy to see Robin Merrill (@robinmerrill on Twitter) win the slam tonight, after she said the 200th time slamming. And she earned it. Funny works! Her poetry is excellent and has been published by the wonderful Maine poetry publisher Moon Pie Press. Here is her blog.

Poetry makes me happy.

The Singing Revolution ****

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One of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. And one of the best documentaries.

I remember the story of the Baltics including Estonia as one of the stories in the collapse of the Soviet Union, but didn’t know this story.

A story of the Nazi-Soviet pact. Of a nation invaded 3 times during World War II. That suffered some of the worst of the horrors of Stalin

Don’t want to give away too much of it, but imagine a third of a nation at a protest concert.

Imagine a revolution with songs not guns. Without violence. With speeches, with song. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatmas Gandhi would approve.

Imagine a people united through song through the worst of the 20th Century.

Beautiful and amazing film and story.

This is an absolute must see. It’s a very good movie and an amazing story.

The songs are beautiful too. Just glorious. And it’s free on Amazon Prime. I am not sure about Netflix.

Don’t just have a few tissues available have a box. Here is the film’s website: http://www.singingrevolution.com/

****

Back to Maine

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It’s feeling strange to go back to Maine on Sunday.

It’s 8 hours from where I am now (writing this on Saturday) from Allentown, PA to Westbrook, ME.

But, it’s the right move for now.

I feel out of sorts in Pennsylvania. I am not home. It’s not where I grew up, and dad is not the father I grew up with.

His death approaches soon. I would love to be closer than 400 miles away, but life moves as it does.

So for now thinking of coming back in a week and a half. That may change though.

It’s hard to be in Pennsylvania and it’s hard to be in Maine.

So, I will leave with the immortal words of Kurt Vonnegut in “Slaughterhouse Five.”

So it goes ….

————–

I wrote the first part on Saturday. I am now back in Maine. Was an exhausting drive back.

After being in New York, I really appreciate Portland, Maine. It has great restaurants, some theatre, poetry, improv, comedy, museums … And it is so much quieter and more approachable.

Happy to be back home, expect the call in the next few weeks that I will have to hold vigil. That will be a challenging drive.

Blessed be.

Edmund