When I’m cruising around, because of my love for music, my radio is always on. However, is not always music I’m listening to. I also programmed in some comedy and news channels. I also listen to a couple of different podcasts as well. But mostly it’s music.
On the weekends, if I get lucky, I catch an episode of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem. Of course, these episodes aren’t current, I don’t even think AT40 is still broadcast. But way back in those magical days, when I was in my adolescent and young adult years, it was part of my weekly routine. I’d listen to Casey as he counted down Billboard magazine’s Top 40 hits for the week.
A confession: Except for getting to hear a few songs I would record for later mix tape creation; I really didn’t care about the countdown. What I enjoyed most was Casey’s way of telling a story through long-distance dedications, trivia, and some of the back stories he provided on older music. Casey hosted the show from 1970 to 1988 and then after a ten-year absence, returned in 1998 until he and AT40 permanently parted ways in 2004.
When I worked as a disc jockey during my college years, I got to play Casey’s show every week. It’d arrive at the station on custom-made vinyl albums that included all the songs, commercials, and other material ready to go. I played them one at a time. Then flipped them over and played the backsides. Because of legalities, we were required to return the records every week after playing them or pay a hefty fine. I stopped listening to the show regularly when I finished one of my tours in Germany in 1983. Armed Forces Network Europe made sure we got the show every week.
I’ve been listening to AT40 for a long time, but I only realized recently that the bottom fifteen songs on the chart usually don’t move up. This is because of the way the charts mix of famous and lesser-known music. Either less than stellar songs solely occupied the lower part of the countdown by famous artists or new songs by people you’d never heard of. Upon that realization, it forced me to ask myself, should he have even bothered?
While on a recent trip, I was trapped with Casey’s show from start to finish. The show was from October 1979. Rather than flipping stations, I let it play uninterrupted from beginning to end. Since the show’s a countdown, he started with song number forty and worked his way up to song number one. This meant my first hour of listening were these barely known songs. At least to me.
Were they bad songs? No, not really -- they just lacked that commercial hook that would’ve made them eventually rise to the top. A few of them I recognized and at least one I could remember dancing to, but they weren’t those stellar songs that climbed to the top.
Were they worth listening to? Yes. Most definitely. They provided me with entertainment for at least an hour and at least one of them was significant enough to me I could match it against a life event. So, if those songs did not exist, things would’ve been a little less than. Personally, I like it when my life is more than.
Without realizing it, Casey made sure those songs gained ears even though they wouldn’t gain massive fame and fortune. Most songwriters, like writers, feel happiest when they entertain and share their words with an audience, not only when they earn money.
This is a busy part of September with many things that I consider important being commemorated: Batman Day, US Constitution Day, Birthday of the Air Force, Oktoberfest begins, International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and somewhere in there my birthday.
16 September — The day commemorating the world’s greatest detective: Batman. Starting with Adam West’s portrayal and followed by all the players who have put on the cowl since, he’s been my favorite. Why? His only real superpower, aside from unlimited funds, is his intellect.
17 September—US Constitution Day, a day celebrating the most brilliant government document ever written. Freedoms for the people, and a framework for how the people control the government. The Constitution rocks.
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18 September—US Air Force Birthday. I am and will always be proud of my service in this branch of America’s military. WWII showed the Air Force was truly something different from what came before and therefore needed to stand as an independent force. Yep.
19 September—International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This is my favorite holiday, with rum, booty and talking funny. It should be yours too. It is easy to take part, just go Pirate Speak–you even get to keep both eyes, both legs, and you don’t need a hook or parrot. Check out the facts here.
Mid September -- Oktoberfest Begins -- This is the time when everyone gets to be German. Beer, singing, dancing, and more. I only got to go to Munich once so far. I will never forget it. Hey Baby -- indeed.
Note: For those who think I forgot, I didn’t.
20 September—Storm Area 51 Day, a meme-driven event that turned a mass uprising into a humor creation exercise. As information regarding UFOs is now being released, please take a moment to realize nothing references Area 51.
Note: I wrote this after experiencing 9/11 while stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany capturing the experience of being outside the United States during that day. Never forget.
A lot of folks have asked me to share what it is like being outside the US during recent events. After giving it some thought, I have pieced together the following, and I am sending it on to friends and family. I hope this lets you know that the world is still a caring place, for the most part, and that we are all safe and secure.
On 11 September, I was in class when the announcement was made about the first crash. None of us could believe it. I grabbed my cell phone and dashed to our security office from the classroom. I arrived in time to watch the second plane hit - I was dumbfounded. My brain could not digest that this was real and not some special effect.
I left the security office to head upstairs to the situation room to notify them that I was locking down the network to prevent any problems. After about 15 minutes there I walked into the Colonel's office to brief him. As I walked into the room, I heard the announcement about the Pentagon. This was so unreal. I was in a daze.
I had no fear for my youngest son, he was on the base and secure. My older son was at work, just around the corner from his brother. The only real fear I felt was for you folks in the US and those folks in uniform I had worked with for 20 years. I also had a very odd feeling because this was the first time in 20 years I was in no way connected to what would be the "military reaction."
Like most of you, we all spent that night and the next few glued to the TV set to see what new information was forthcoming. Armed Forces Network (AFN) was giving us a live CNN feed. We, like you, were looking for something -- anything that would lend a bit of hope to the darkness. I found some of that hope in the German people of our city.
The night of the 11th I was taking the trash out when two of our neighbors, who I had not even met yet (we had been in the house 11 days), came by to express their condolences and to tell me that their prayers were with America. While walking downtown, a man of apparent Middle Eastern descent comes up to apologize for the acts of the "insane and evil" among his people. Most of all he wanted me to understand that it did not represent his people and that I should not hold it against them.
The base went into lockdown mode. As some of you know, I do not work on the base itself but in the American Arms Officer Tower downtown. Within a few days, we all got used to the ID checks, car searches, and other obstacles in place to keep us safe. About two days after the crash I started to notice the flowers appearing at the main gate, which had been totally locked down. I started making it a point to go by there, and as days passed flowers, candles, cards of encouragement, and flags (American and German) all appeared. I took time to read several, and most said the same thing "We are with you, we are one." I had found some hope, a bright spot that made it all a little easier. Several huge silent candle-lit marches went through the city, ending in services at the various cathedrals in town.
We went on a Volksmarch (sort of an organized stroll through the forest) the next weekend, and IVV was collecting money for American Red Cross and signatures for a card to be sent to New York. I think this is the first time I can ever remember hearing about or seeing a foreign country giving to America instead of the other way around.
In recent weeks there have been two other events here in Wiesbaden that connect to the WTC tragedy. I am telling you about them so that if you hear about them later, you do not feel any worry. The person thought to be the "money man" for al Qaeda was arrested here. Keep in mind that Frankfurt (20 miles up the road) is the financial capital of Europe, so it is not out of line for this guy to be living here. It is about the same as finding a stockbroker living in Newark. One item of comfort: since this was a money laundering operation, the business end was kept far away from it to keep it looking legitimate.
The other incident was an Anthrax scare at a local Shell gas station. The substance was tested and found to be plain old cocaine. How's that for relativity - feeling relieved because it was cocaine?
The worst part of being here during something like this is not feeling insecure or fearful. The worst part is feeling disconnected from your people - those that share the experience and feel the pain. It feels that way here to a small degree. For the most part, the sincerity of the words "We are with you, we are one" from the German people provides that comfort to us. From what I hear similar experiences are being had by Americans in England and Italy as well -- too bad it takes a disaster to bring us all a little closer together.
That's all the news from Deutschland for the moment. Everyone is fine and well and doing great.
In my last entry, I mentioned singing a song to my youngest granddaughter at bedtime. I think aside from reading, it’s one of the most important things that adults can do during a child’s upbringing. Reading teaches children storytelling and takes them to a different world. Each tale has its own way of teaching a lesson. Music, while more ethereal, serves the same purpose. Also, since with very few exceptions we no longer sing as part of daily life, it provides a unique personal connection that is usually unshared.
The older sister of the one I mentioned, who is a kindergartner now, lived with us for an extended period while her dad was deployed. This allowed me to be part of her nightly bedtime ritual of bath, stories, songs, and tuck-in. With the adults each taking one step, I ended up singing to her almost every night. Of course, I was not much for lullabies, and instead introduced her to the music I enjoyed. After all, I knew the lyrics to those.
At first, I gleaned songs from my memory she might find easy to understand. She loved it when Puff the Magic Dragon was sung including her name. Then, of course, tunes like Rollover where she was the little one and the Ants Go Marching where her name was used for the ant doing the action elicited giggles. Granted, even though the objective was to get her fall asleep I didn’t mind hearing her laugh a bit before she did. She also liked The Marvelous Toy and The Unicorn Song.
As time went on, I started pulling songs from lots of sources. Rocky Top and Fox on the Run from my bluegrass repertoire, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Blue Bayou, Car Wash Blues, and Operator from my folk-rock history. Double Feature/Science Fiction* and The Rainbow Connection from my soundtrack memories. Lots of other songs made a brief appearance, and then vanished. The idea behind this was to get her to relax and fall asleep.
Even though she’s a kindergartner now, I still get to do this occasionally when I am around for her bedtime. She’s still not very good with titles. One night she asked me to sing the song about ‘your hill and my hill’. It took me a minute to realize she meant This Land Is Your Land. Most of the time, I sing what she asks for but when she can’t decide I’ve been introducing Eagles songs. Then the other night it happened.
I had sung Best of My Love and when I finished, she asked: “Grandpa, what’s that song about?” It took me a minute. I fondly remember the song as semi-romantic, but when I started running through the lyrics in my head, there was no doubt it was a breakup song. Worse, I couldn’t think of a way of explaining a song: Two people who loved each other very much but just couldn’t make it work out. How do you explain that to a five-year-old in such a way she might understand? In the end, I kept it simple: it was about two people who had to say goodbye. She let me get away with that, not asking another question. I was thankful I hadn't sung Hotel California.
It’s a wondrous and wonderful thing to watch her grow up. It’s still at the point where the new discoveries are joyful enough to distract from the fact these days are also disappearing one by one. I’ll continue to sing for her every chance I get, but I’ll be more careful about the songs I pick. Might be time to dust off Puff again.
*-Whereas the movie that the song Double Feature/Science Fiction is intended for adults, the song itself is about 50s era Science Fiction movies and is harmless.
On Friday, I read the news of a lifelong friend's passing. Losing a friend is harder if you haven’t kept in touch then the news hits harder as you are flooded with memories. Tom Arnold was a good man and
probably the best example of how lifelong friendship works among military
brats.
In the
mid to late seventies, Tom, Phil, and I made up the self-named Busboy Triumvirate
at the Fort Eustis Officers Club in Virginia. One evening, when we had
completed our shift, we adjourned to an unused game room at the back of the
club. There were a few pinball machines and a pool table in the center
of the room. Off to one side sat the remains of a keg of beer we had absconded
with earlier. On this particular evening, as we played Eightball, smoked
cigarettes, and drank beer, the topic for discussion was how the world had changed.
It’s funny to think that three teenagers found any change in our brief lives
significant enough to complain about. Somehow, we did.
We’d
talked about this subject before, but this time we compared events from when we
were in elementary school. It was the first time any of us had spoken about
those years. As military brats, you wash over deep history and instead, just
exchange a quick list of bases where you’d once lived. So, it was a surprise to
discover that for the first few years of elementary school Tom and I had both
been at Fort Ord, California. Beyond the basic information, we didn’t delve
into it further because there were more important things to do like drink beer
and shoot pool.
The
next time we showed up for work, Tom was eager to share a photo he’d dug up. It
was his second-grade class picture, and he pointed to himself in the front row,
and then to me two rows behind him. Amazing, all these years later and now on the
opposite coast of the United States we were about to graduate high school together.
It wasn’t until a few nights later when we compared birthplaces we found both
of us were born in Germany. I was born five days before him, and just fifty
miles down the road from Frankfurt.
For
three years, we lived in the same neighborhood and developed a casual friendship that
skipped important details until now. That’s not unusual for military brats. We form
significant relationships with only a cursory comparison of histories. It was
more about the here and now, and who is in front of you than where
they came from or were born. Junior year, we sat next to each other in a health
class we shared. We spent most class periods talking and joking since our
health teacher was often absent because of his side job as a wrestling coach.
At the
club, because there was time between setting up parties and taking them down,
we had a lot of time to talk. When Phil’s romance with a co-worker made him
duck out, so Tom and I conversed about deep stuff. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t
all serious discussions. We also discussed girls, cars, and our plans after
graduation. Looking back, it was during this time I learned the basic critical thinking
skills that I’ve used over a lifetime. We were bouncing ideas off of each other
which helped us develop that skill. Tom was smart and also had a great sense of humor,
so our discussions were very enjoyable.
One
night, while we were putting away linens, Tom saw an old piano stored in the
room’s corner. He made a remark that he always wanted to walk into a room containing
a piano, walk over to it, and play a semi-complicated song without fanfare or
introduction. When the song was complete, he’d just stand up and walk away,
leaving everyone to wonder if he knew far more than that one song. At that
point, he walked over to the piano and sat down. First, he cracked his knuckles
and played the intro of Whiter Shade of Pale then sang the first half of the
song as he played.
When he
was done the room fell silent. I looked over at Phil, who had a puzzled look on
his face. Tom closed the cover of the
keyboard, stood up, and exited the room without saying a word. It was probably
the most Tom-like thing I ever saw him do. Whenever I talk about him, I recant
this tale.
When
Prom time came, the three of us and our dates went as a group. The evening
included dinner at a Polynesian restaurant that was known for selling booze to
underage kids more than for their food. Then we went to the prom. When it was
over, we headed out to the Colonial Parkway. It was also the last time I spent
any time with Tom. A few weeks later, we graduated and then blasted off in separate
directions.
In all
the time that I knew Tom, he always had a quick wit, and often unique insights
about whatever subject was being discussed. Even if we disagreed, I can’t
recall a time when either of us got angry but sought a more logical argument to
convince the other person to come over to our side. It was Tom who taught me a
lot about what it means to have a good friend.
It’s
been many years since we graduated high school, and I lost touch with a lot of folks
but the one I regret most was Tom. Whenever I hear A White Shade of Pale I am
flooded with memories of the times we spent together. I’ll always pause to
reflect on them, at the moment with tears in my eyes.
My
careers, both in the military and out, have taken me around the world, so saying
goodbye to people then not remaining in touch is normal. A few years ago, when
prepping to go to my Class Reunion, I asked if anyone knew if Tom was coming.
His sister reached out to me and provided his mailing address but warned me he
might not write back. She explained it wasn’t an insult, just who he was now. I
immediately wrote a letter, and several more over the course of the year. After
not hearing anything back, I gave up hope of hearing anything about him again,
until this morning when I saw his obituary.
Tonight,
I was reading a book to my two-year-old granddaughter before tucking her into bed;
I took a moment to tell her about my friend Tom. Then, while holding her tight,
I sang her to sleep with an a cappella rendition of A Whiter Shade of Pale.
Tom is
one of about a dozen friends who also played guitar, but he is the only one I never jammed with. I was into folk rock and learning banjo during the time
I knew him, he was into something more electric. But aside from being a great friend who left a significant impact
on my life Tom introduced me to the music of Eric Clapton. Awesome stuff.
I consider myself blessed I get to spend part of my time hanging out with my grandkids. Along with the expected joys that come from hanging out with these terrific small humans, I get to share things they are excited about. Recently, it was a cartoon called Bluey.
Bluey is a cartoon out of Australia that centers on a family of Blue Heelers. The family consists of Mum, Dad, Bluey (six-year-old daughter) and Bingo (four-year-old daughter). Besides those characters, there are also uncles, grandmothers, friends, neighbors, and more. Most stories focus on games played by the children with their parents, and occasionally with relatives.
It is a lot of fun to watch how the parents react to being included in the games. Of course, this is fantasy, so they can always drop everything to take part with the girls and they always participate wholeheartedly. The Dad, Bandit, has a keen perception what's going on and immediately jumps into the fantasy the girls have concocted. He gives characters made-up names while playing the game. For instance, Bert Handsome for the hair salon, Romeo McFlourish for the fancy restaurant, and Telemachus for the hospital.
Some examples of the games include the floor is lava, the pizza shop, going shopping, robot Dad, Dad is a newborn, and statues. They also have event episodes like when the girls fixed Dad's birthday breakfast, and going to the hardware store with Mum. There are lessons to be learned as well, and if a parent does something wrong, they figure it out with the help of the girls. Eventually, everything is made right. In a small way, I guess, each episode is it's own lesson if you pay attention closely enough to find it. No problem with that -- they are also entertaining.
I like the artwork of the show. There are things in the background that make the world of Bluey more believable and more like your home. Minor details like outlets, window cranks, and the miscellaneous stuff on a bookshelf all make the program more immersive. The best part is that I get to enjoy watching most episodes with my granddaughters on my lap, as we laugh together at the funny parts.
The show has been around for three seasons, and is catching on in America thanks to a streaming service picking it up. As more and more people are familiar with it in the United States, you can occasionally get away with slipping a reference from the show into a conversation. I had such an experience during a recent coffee shop visit.
Me: I'd like a large nonfat cappuccino with whipped cream and one Splenda.
Barista: Absolutely name for the order?
Me: (after a moment's thought) Telemachus.
Barista: Uh, could you say that again, please?
As I was about to speak, the barista standing next to the first one, took the cup from her.
Barista 2: It's okay (as she wrote on the cup) I got this.
I thanked them both and then stepped aside to wait for my order to be prepared. After a few moments, Barista 2 nodded toward me as she extended the cup in my direction. Taking the cup from her, I spun it around in my hand to get the mouth hole in the right place. Then I noticed what name she had written upon it... Bluey's Dad.
I guess it could've been different, the Barista could've written Son of Odysseus and Penelope instead.
Almost everyone has a tale about that person who hung out at your house so much they became part of their family. It’s usually due to a friendship between them and someone in the family or maybe it was a boy/girlfriend situation that morphed into a whole family thing due to personalities. Of course, dogs, cats, and other animals often become family as well. This story is different, it’s about a towel that became if not part of the family at least part of the family lore and legend.
When one of my sons was working as a lifeguard at a community pool in Missouri he discovered after arriving for his shift that he’d forgotten to bring a towel. Rather than going without, he searched through a bin of Lost and Found items that had been there for over a month and pulled out a towel. As towels go, it was what you’d expect it to be. It was well made and larger than a bath, but smaller than a beach towel. It was medium gray with the name Chris and the silhouette of a fish embroidered on it in red.
When he brought it home that evening, he threw it in the laundry basket and explained how he came by the towel. I thought because of the fish emblem on it that Chris was probably part of the swim team or some other aquatic collective. The towel was washed and put away with our other towels and without fanfare Chris Towel, as it became known, started its journey with the family.
The rest of the time we lived in Missouri, Chris Towel became the go-to tog. We’d take him with us when the destination was less than stellar, more nature than civilized, or when there was a possibility, a good towel might get stolen. It was the expendable towel. It was also the towel used to mop up things off the garage floor or elsewhere in the house when dry was needed, but you didn’t want to risk a high-dollar towel. Looking back, I have to say that Chris Towel always performed well and after going through the wash it returned spot and stain-free every single time. It was never lost. I guess monogrammed things have less of a propensity for being ripped off unless someone named Chris is walking by.
Chris Towel could’ve lived out his days in Missouri, serving its intended purpose until worn out, but fate had other plans. When we moved to Germany, he made the trip with us. From there, Chris Towel traveled to the Netherlands, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and all over Germany. As the expendable towel, it was always understood that if space was needed, Chris Towel would be left behind. He never was. Chris Towel also went along on Boy Scout camping trips at Camp Freedom and Kandersteg International Scout Camp in Switzerland. When my youngest son went to an Outward-Bound style camp in Austria, Chris Towel went along.
There were times he faced extinction as closets were cleaned out and decisions were made about what might get disposed of or donated. Chris Towel always made the cut. He came back to the United States where he went to various water parks and a few more Scout camps before he was relegated to the back of the closet.
When I deployed to Kuwait as a reservist, Chris Towel went along. Later, when I deployed to Kuwait as a civilian, Chris Towel once again packed his bag and went with me. At the end of my tour in Kuwait, I once again looked at Chris Towel and thought about leaving him behind, but thought better of it and he returned to the US with me.
When my youngest son was putting together his own household, after getting married, Chris Towel went with him. I suppose explained Chris Towel’s family legacy to his wife, as she also refers to him by name. Since that time, he’s been blessed with two awesome daughters who’ve been dried off by Chris Towel. He continues to serve as the solution for a wet body coming out of a lake, a pond, a bathtub, or a sprinkler.
Like most folks, over the years, I’ve picked up a little of this and a little of that from everywhere I’ve ever been. But I have to say that one of the most constantly familiar objects has been Chris Towel.
Now and then, I think about wanting to return the towel to its original owner, but I have no way of locating them now any more than when he first arrived decades ago. Chris Towel had been with us so long I’m seriously considering adding them to the family tree. I wonder how the ancestry sites will feel about that.
