It is Saturday morning and I rec'd good news, an email from Ky saying his friends from Vancouver have arrived in London and he’s been busy entertaining them, hence the radio silence.
I have been waiting to hear his itinerary for the India trip…I think it is still not settled.
I've been following his photo posts to Flickr and when I see he's just posted, I know all is well. He has the eye and spirit of a true artist. From the age of about 6 years old when he first started to draw and color I could see his talent clearly defined. To follow his posts Google "ky zoss photos" and it will bring up his pages.
It’s a lovely blue sky morning and a perfect day for a walk to work.
As planned I watched the Elvis Costello special last night after work. A week ago I had seen the ad for the program and put a post-it note on my table with an abbreviated message so I would not miss it.
His guest was James Taylor and what memories their exchange brought back for me! I had goose bumps knowing I had been there too, in some ways.
After spending 40+ years as a singer songwriter I have some memories that echo the best of the vintage memories of any of the artists of my generation, famous or not. Part of the thrill I have in following my son's journey is knowing that he is laying the groundwork for some of the same treasures I have stored in my cellular memory over the years.
With stuff like this latent and ready to retrieve in an instant without any electronic devices, who needs an i-pod?
Seeing images of the young James Taylor juxtaposed to the present shots of an aging and much gentler, wiser man reminded me of my own journey. Watching him deftly finger the chord changes to some of his famous and memorable songs brought back memories of first hearing Sweet Baby James on the house sound system while sitting in Les Cousins Coffee House in Soho, London, just a few blocks away from where my son Ky is now working.
I was waiting for my spot at the open mike, my guitar in hand and going over the words to the songs (my own songs) I was about to perform as I had done so many times over the years and would continue to do for so many years to come.
Of course I had visions of these songs soon appearing on the pop charts and on the radio airwaves, a long lasting fantasy that never materialized for me but which fueled my journey and seemed to be a reason to carry on in the face of struggle. And what a struggle it was year after year waiting for those brief 15 minutes spots to showcase my songs!
In those days it never occured to me that I was writing music for a far more important and intimate reason...and that is the act of composing itself.
Thank God for that discipline, for the strength developed by it and for the life-line it has provided for me for so many years.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Counting my Blessings
"When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." ~Buddha-
It is just past 10 a.m. and I guess the snow that was forecast for later in the week never materialized for us and the sun seems to be sticking around instead. Thank you Weather Gods!
Saturday and mid-workweek for me! I am gearing up for the day, and counting my blessings.
Dare I mention the word Spring?
It seems whenever I take that deep relaxing breath and sigh of relief, the wind picks up again. But when the sun is shining like it is today, it is an incentive and an inspiration to get up and get with it.
If I was not working, it would be a great day for a seawall walk but I am lucky to be able to walk to work, about 25 minutes if I take my time and stop to smell the flowers.
Well, there may not be many blossoms just yet, as many seem to have tucked their heads back in their beds to wait out the cold days that have continued on. But they are coming, I can feel it in my bones.
And then this past cold winter will be nothing but a memory, one I will have forgotten by this time next year when someone asks, "Do you remember last year?"
As a young man and a student of meditation I tried so hard to live in the now. A long time ago I wrote:
"When to be, and to be, will deepen into NOW, I will roll my pantlegs to the knee and dance." I was an avid student of Yeats and Eliot, but also of Suzuki Roshi and Chogyam Trungpa.
These days, despite my best efforts I can't remember one week from the next, let alone a year ago. Especially if I am asked of if I try to remember.
The real memories, the ones that stick, come unbidden and linger like the fragrances of springtime blossoms. Thank God for those memories and times that were but will never be again.
And like the Canucks, with a game still in hand, what of those beautiful days and times still yet to come!
I am a lucky man!
(from the tinybuddha Twitter page.)
It is just past 10 a.m. and I guess the snow that was forecast for later in the week never materialized for us and the sun seems to be sticking around instead. Thank you Weather Gods!
Saturday and mid-workweek for me! I am gearing up for the day, and counting my blessings.
Dare I mention the word Spring?
It seems whenever I take that deep relaxing breath and sigh of relief, the wind picks up again. But when the sun is shining like it is today, it is an incentive and an inspiration to get up and get with it.
If I was not working, it would be a great day for a seawall walk but I am lucky to be able to walk to work, about 25 minutes if I take my time and stop to smell the flowers.
Well, there may not be many blossoms just yet, as many seem to have tucked their heads back in their beds to wait out the cold days that have continued on. But they are coming, I can feel it in my bones.
And then this past cold winter will be nothing but a memory, one I will have forgotten by this time next year when someone asks, "Do you remember last year?"
As a young man and a student of meditation I tried so hard to live in the now. A long time ago I wrote:
"When to be, and to be, will deepen into NOW, I will roll my pantlegs to the knee and dance." I was an avid student of Yeats and Eliot, but also of Suzuki Roshi and Chogyam Trungpa.
These days, despite my best efforts I can't remember one week from the next, let alone a year ago. Especially if I am asked of if I try to remember.
The real memories, the ones that stick, come unbidden and linger like the fragrances of springtime blossoms. Thank God for those memories and times that were but will never be again.
And like the Canucks, with a game still in hand, what of those beautiful days and times still yet to come!
I am a lucky man!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
The 1st of April?
Today it’s dark, rainy and gloomy…and cold…again.
When I went shopping yesterday the wind was so strong that I had to hold my toque over my ears to prevent the gusts from pulling it off my head, and to protect my eardrums from the cold blasts and possible resulting headache. But it was sunny and the sky was clear blue.
When I poked my head out the window this morning the falling rain was icy and mixed with snow and it looked like a leisurely stroll to the dentist office in Kits might be out of the question. When I planned this appointment 6 months ago, I am sure I visualized a walk through spring blossoms.
What happened to spring this year?
I looked again and at 10:30 it looked like the velocity of the rain’s diminished and there was an elderly passer by walking bareheaded. It he can do it, why not I? It will give me some exercise too, I thought, something I might not otherwise get today considering the elements.
Then I packaged up my garbage and exited to the lane to visit the dumpster on my way out. I had my toque on again and my rolled umbrella at the ready.
This time I bundled up fairly carefully and half way across the bridge I was glad I had as the wind was threatening to turn my umbrella inside-out and my fingers were growing numb. I folded my umbrella and braved the pelting rain until I reached Kits.
The visit to the dentist is always a challenge and today it was no exception as there was a new hygenist and I had to go through the whole routine with her from the beginning. It seems to me that I used to get through a cleaning with much less hassle, but these days it is a gauntlet.
When I finally got through it and my dentist came to check, I could tell by the way he was poking around in there are telling the hygenist to roll back the x-rays that I was going to be making another visit soon. It looks like some of my old silver fillings are showing cracks at the seams and he will have to replace these.
It's just as well as those fillings were done in the late 60's in the UK, and they have held up well and served their purpose.
Back home after another cold, wet walk across the bridge in very un-April like weather, I was congratulating myself on catching the wave of energy on Tuesday that had me cleaning my apartment as well as doing laundry, something I have been putting off too long.
Also today before I left for the dentist I edited and posted another chapter on Eagalic Music at:
http://www.eagalicmusic.com/
So I guess I can chalk this up as another successful "weekend".
When I went shopping yesterday the wind was so strong that I had to hold my toque over my ears to prevent the gusts from pulling it off my head, and to protect my eardrums from the cold blasts and possible resulting headache. But it was sunny and the sky was clear blue.
When I poked my head out the window this morning the falling rain was icy and mixed with snow and it looked like a leisurely stroll to the dentist office in Kits might be out of the question. When I planned this appointment 6 months ago, I am sure I visualized a walk through spring blossoms.
What happened to spring this year?
I looked again and at 10:30 it looked like the velocity of the rain’s diminished and there was an elderly passer by walking bareheaded. It he can do it, why not I? It will give me some exercise too, I thought, something I might not otherwise get today considering the elements.
Then I packaged up my garbage and exited to the lane to visit the dumpster on my way out. I had my toque on again and my rolled umbrella at the ready.
This time I bundled up fairly carefully and half way across the bridge I was glad I had as the wind was threatening to turn my umbrella inside-out and my fingers were growing numb. I folded my umbrella and braved the pelting rain until I reached Kits.
The visit to the dentist is always a challenge and today it was no exception as there was a new hygenist and I had to go through the whole routine with her from the beginning. It seems to me that I used to get through a cleaning with much less hassle, but these days it is a gauntlet.
When I finally got through it and my dentist came to check, I could tell by the way he was poking around in there are telling the hygenist to roll back the x-rays that I was going to be making another visit soon. It looks like some of my old silver fillings are showing cracks at the seams and he will have to replace these.
It's just as well as those fillings were done in the late 60's in the UK, and they have held up well and served their purpose.
Back home after another cold, wet walk across the bridge in very un-April like weather, I was congratulating myself on catching the wave of energy on Tuesday that had me cleaning my apartment as well as doing laundry, something I have been putting off too long.
Also today before I left for the dentist I edited and posted another chapter on Eagalic Music at:
http://www.eagalicmusic.com/
So I guess I can chalk this up as another successful "weekend".
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