Today is an unusual day for me to try to be grateful for things as today is the 31st anniversary of the day that the music died, the dream ended, and the hope for a return of Beatlemania was crushed. But, I will find things to be grateful for… read along.
Here we go…
That I am not Piglet – Do you remember Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day? Well, that was definitely set in Liverpool. It is the windiest place I have ever known. Chicago is nothing compared to this place. I am just extraordinarily grateful that I am not Piglet or someone like him. When I am trying to sleep and the wind howls as if it has no manners at all, I just picture poor Piglet being tossed around the One Hundred Acre Wood and I happy I am not him.
Lola- No reason to go in to detail here. I’m quite glad that her type exists. She does what I need her to do. Not glad I need to know her, but I am glad I do.
Stefanie – is my oldest and truest Beatle friend. We also displayed proudly our love for BSB (we still do) and we didn’t care who had what to say about it. For most of middle school and all of high school, Stefanie and I found ourselves in the most interesting trouble. They are times I still laugh at today. I wish I could share with you half of the silly things we did but it’s still just a bit too embarrassing. Stef, duck!
But even now, I can text Stefanie from the other side of the world (and it’s even better this week because she is in Texas) and she will be there to make me laugh, lend an ear, offer support or just remind me why I am not an idiot for feeling a certain way. And to confirm that what I am experiencing is indigestion and not a gall bladder attack, this is more important than one person may think.
Back to The Beatles. I don’t even know if we began liking them together or separately. I just knew one day I liked them and then I knew she did. So for this week, that is why I am most grateful for Stefanie Susan. Not many kids liked The Beatles when we were in school; I suppose they didn’t know any better. But because one other person understood why I loved The Beatles so much it made it much easier for me to embrace The Fab Four and not care if anyone else thought they were cool.
The Beatles Anthology - I owe too much gratitude to all of the people who put together Anthology. It originally aired in November 1995. If you want to see the full story of how I was introduced to The Beatles you can read my blog about it here Chasing Dreams. If you haven’t read that then why in the world are you reading this? If it weren’t for Anthology, I might have never known The Beatles and if I never knew The Beatles, I might not have the awesome friends, beliefs, outlook on life, living arrangements, or joy that I have now. I was talking to Dan last night and mentioned how it amazes me that because two guys met at a church picnic 54 years ago, I am living in Liverpool, England. Strange how history really does affect the present. Don’t get me wrong, there are many other factors that helped me get to Liverpool, but there is only one reason why I chose to come here.
John Lennon – I have decided that I am not going write sad things about Lennon’s death 31 years ago today. Everyone has done that. I am thrilled that this man came along. I am well aware that I probably wouldn’t know who he or the other Beatles were if he was still alive or I wouldn’t like them as much, if I did. Obviously I would trade not knowing of him at all if it meant he would still be breathing, not because he is John Lennon, but because he is a human being. But it is thanks to him (and my mom) that I think that way. I put others before myself because I believe in peace and goodwill toward men. I know he wasn’t always perfect. Nowhere near perfect actually. He was complex, rude, and mean. But we are all that way. We are human. He was also witty, smart, caring, talented, wanted to see a change for better in the world and tried to make it happen. That last part isn’t something that many of us do, myself included. We are human.
I am grateful that he existed because there isn’t a question that can’t be answered by some song of his, whether it is while he was with The Beatles or during his solo years. Sometimes, I can even find it in his books. My friend was bumming before and said that he wasn't sure if he made the right choice in coming to Liverpool. What did I say to him? Exactly what I would say to you: there’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be. My friend thanked me for that. I told him not to thank me but to thank Lennon.
So yeah, many might think that the day the music died is December 8, 1980. I disagree. Things that Lennon sang about still ring true today. We cannot say that many musicians, poets, writers etc. words are timeless. He was a man of peace and love. He and Debbie have turn me into the hippie that I am today. So for Lennon existing, I am forever grateful. So are Dan, Bianca, and Shani.
What are you thankful for?
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