The Secret of Eternal Life

Yesterday was the 100 birthday of Johnny Mercer, famous lyricist and singer and it brought something to mind. As Westerners we are deftly afraid of death we do not want to die and we will do anything to prolong life.
We see death as the end and it probably is at least from the physical side true but there is more to life than the physical life and people like Johnny Mercer teach us this. Mr. Mercer has been physically dead for the last 38 years but his spirit lives on through what he gave to the world.
I often find myself whistling or singing one of his tunes like " Blues in the Night", "Jeepers Creepers" or "Moon River" every time this happens whether it is me or Tony Bennett Johnny Mercer lives.
This also comes to mind when I think of Michael Jackson and think that this rare human being was ageless, timeless and will always live in the hearts and minds of the world. His music,manner and style will never be repeated. Michael lives on.
We all will live on when we depart the physical world through everyone who knew us even if if it was just one person.
I often think of this because my father as the result of a stroke is in a nursing home. Physically he is not the person that he once was but I will always remember him in the way he has been. When he finally departs this world he will live on . I remember his wit, strength, compassion and sense of humor all of which I have inherited. To know me is to know him and through me and everyone who knew him he will live on.Do you know who told me this? My father.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today I celebrated my birthday and it was today as it always has been, a very special day.
When I was younger, it was special because I got a special gift and a cake and ice cream where everyone in the room sang happy birthday, gave me my special present and a good time was had by all.
When I got older, I asked my mother for pizza instead of a cake, I think it was something that I saw on an Archie comic book cover but my mother who was always a good sport went the extra mile and not only gave me a pizza for my birthday but made it from scratch with all of my favorite toppings. She did this for the rest of my childhood and teen years.
Because we had such a big family and I had few friends, I never had a birthday party and have only had three in my entire life. As I got older, I discovered the the real importance of birthdays and the real gifts that we receive.
A birthday is a celebration of one of the most important days of our life, the day we left the protection of our mother's womb and began our life in the outside world. The day we went from being an expectation to a person it must be and should be the greatest day of our life.
As for gifts the greatest ones we receive are the ones from those closest to us . My parents gave me the greatest gift of all, they gave me life and made me the person that I am. My sisters gave me the love of siblings. All three of them would do anything for me and I them. They would rush to my side if and when I am in need. My family gives me family love that couples praise with criticism. My love for my wife and daughter is unconditional as is their love for me. This is a gift that is priceless and like many gifts is returnable.
My friends give me the gift of friendship that goes beyond all boundaries and is requited . My friends give me both support and criticism they share in my good times and bad. There has never been a time when they did not come when I needed them and made me feel better than I did before they came. sometimes they say everything sometimes nothing.
I received the gift of writing from my grandmother who could always spin a good yarn on the front porch of our house. She told me that all is possible with faith not just faith in a higher being but yourself. She like my parents gave me the gift of learning and the love of learning.
When I think about this birthday, I am happy to say that my cup runneth over with gifts and will never become empty.
Happy birthday to me.

I live in Charlie Brown Land

When I moved to Minnesota over 20 years ago there was this sense of that I had left the United States and gone into a totally different world, Charlie Brown land. Recently, I watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and I realized that Minnesota is so Charlie Brown Not because Charles Schultz was born and raised in Minnesota but there is an air about this place that brings to mind kids skating on a winter frozen pond safe, secure and without a care.
In Charlie Brown land there are diners on every block and fresh bakeries on every corner. When I first arrived here, there was a malt shoppe on the corner of Randolph and Snelling called the James Soda Grill, where you could still get milk shakes, fries and grilled cheese sandwiches for a great price. The soda jerk even had the traditional white uniform, garrison cap and all and this was 1988.
In Charlie Brown land, the politics are as clean as the streets and as liberal as the portions at Keys Cafe. Education was a priority in Charlie Brown land where in Garrison Keillor's words the children are above average as noted from the test scores.
In Charlie Brown land, the snow falls every winter and it is greeted with joy instead of disgust. Kids still skate on frozen ponds or ice rinks and hockey is not hokey . In Charlie Brown land people still have that sing-song accent that can lull you to sleep and make you dream of better times.
Sometimes it is almost like Minnesota is in a time warp stuck between Eisenhower and Nixon and sometimes it is past George Jetson. Charlie Brown land is not some fictional place in the mind of a dreamer, it is a real and vibrant place where life is lived and changes are made.
Minnesota may be Charlie Brown land but that's OK because I am Charlie Brown.