Rain is coming down hard outside as I lounge in bed feeling weary from a respiratory illness. Cody and Maureen have been staying with us for a week that included Christmas and the division I college football semifinal games. LSU demolished Oklahoma in the first one yesterday much to the delight o fTiger fans everywhere. They will face Clemson, who eked out a win over Ohio State last night, on January 13 in New Orleans. I'm committee to play music at two New Year's Eve gatherings and Georgia will play Baylor in the Sugar Bowl on January 1.
I feel largely indifferent to all of the above happenings. Being ill always feeds into my dysthymic tendencies. I'm tired of having only blurry vision in my left eye almost a year after detached retina was diagnosed.Still, I look at things objectively and recognize I've pretty much got it made as far as the rest of my life goes. I can go through the motions of eating, sleeping, paying bills, being kind to my family and friends, posting clever posts on Facebook and Instagram, and doing as I please with no worries about running out of money or being homeless. I can write and record songs, perform at local open mic venues, take trips to anywhere on earth if I want to, get first class medical care, read or watch any book or movie or TV show or whatever I wish to as my physical self deteriorates slowly or until my life is ended by an unexpected stroke of Fate. I will be surprised if my consciousness and identity endure pst the end of my body's life but we'll see. Deeper down, I do care and I want to use my time and talents and resources to help my species as individuals and a whole.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Christmas Message to my Facebook Friends
Greetings of the Season, good people!
The traditions of Christmas in the USA I grew up with and have taken part in over the years are a significant part of who I am. Today, at the age of 67, I found myself reflecting on what Christmas means to me now and I decided to write down some of my thoughts and share them here. No doubt Christmas means many different things to different ones among you, my diverse network of Facebook friends.
What the following paragraphs contain are just my reflections, ideas drawn from my experiences and readings that perhaps could be food for thought to those so inclined. I read your posts and realize you don't all think the same way and believe the same things. Some of you claim the Christian faith while some are proud to be atheists. Some of you profess another of the world's religious faiths such as Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism or Islam and some have your own personal spiritual beliefs and practices outside of any established faith community. Some of you think that religion is a major cause of our social and geo-political ills and that we'd all be better off without it. Some of you love everything about the Christmas season from the traditions of your family to the shopping and gift-giving, the manger scenes and lighting of candles in your churches, and the endless rounds of Christmas songs, spiritual and secular, old and new. Others of you detest the commercialization of Christmas and lament that people seem to have lost the original meaning of the celebration. Then again, you may not care about any of this or you may think everyone who doesn't believe as you do is going to Hell, Christmas or no Christmas.
Whatever you may believe, I accept all of you as you are and do not presume to tell you what you should believe or feel about Christmas or religion or God. For that matter, I'm not interested in being told what I should feel or believe, either, so please don't go there (and, If you do go there, I will delete your comment!). However, please feel free to fact check me on what I say below if you wish and correct anything you believe I got wrong.
When it comes to Christmas, if you put all of the differences of belief to the side, don't trouble your mind with sophisticated theological arguments, and simply read what is written in any reputable translation of the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (or in the original languages if you happen to be a scholar), I think you will see that the man English-speakers like me call Jesus taught love for all of humanity, that we are all brothers and sisters. He told his followers to renounce their attachment to the transient wealth, privileges, social status, and pleasures of the world, to renounce violence and revenge, to be humble like a small child, to pray for and forgive their enemies. He said his followers shouldn't concern themselves with who got to sit in the most prestigious spots in Heaven, that "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." He told his disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven belonged to those who are "poor in spirit" and that "the meek shall inherit the earth." He taught that whatever you fail to do for anyone in need, especially "the least of your brothers," you fail to do to for him; and, likewise, whatever you do for anyone in need, you do for him. He said we should not judge others but should be ever mindful of our own thoughts and actions. Jesus taught that if you follow his teachings and put your trust in the creator, who he said loves you more than even the best mother or father, you would not need to worry about what happens to you in this life or what comes afterwards because you will be taken care of. He taught that the birth of a child is the hope of humanity. He exhorted his disciples to "follow me" and demonstrated what that meant by willingly sacrificing his life for them and for all.
To my mind in light of my life experience, these teachings hang together and make sense. They make more sense to me than trying to figure out exactly what we need to believe in order to get rewarded and to avoid being punished after we die, which we all will soon enough. If we think endorsing the correct belief on the basis of someone's authoritative interpretation is the truly important thing, we may well think that following the teachings about the way we should live is not so important. We might then slip into rationalizing that it's safe to blow off the practical teachings because our adherence to the correct formula of belief is the ticket to eternal bliss that will nullify our less than conscientious efforts to follow the words and example of the teacher. We might continue to prioritize acquiring wealth, status, and power and to continue thinking I and people like me are better and more deserving of wealth, status, and power than people who look, talk, live and believe differently than us and that those others don't really count so it's OK not to care about their lives and well-being. We might even rationalize that it's OK to be dishonest and hypocritical in our public lives as long as we endorse the beliefs that will get us past St. Peter when we arrive at the gate.
Assuming I'm not too far off in my understanding of what Jesus said we ought to do in this life, I wonder what our world could be like if we all reflected on the Christmas story of his humble origins, considered the wisdom of his teachings as they have come down to us, took to heart his guidance on how to be, and did our best to live accordingly? As a man who was brought up in the Methodist Church with the humble example of faith set by my mother and my older sister, Anne, that's what Christmas means to me, that there's hope for all of us, even the smallest and the least of our brothers and sisters, that how we view and treat one another, even ourselves, and how we live is what counts, in short, that we should love one another "the way I loved you" and have faith that everything will be ok. I wonder...
Wishing to each of you and to everyone everywhere a spirit of love and goodwill, I am:
Yours truly,
Owen
The traditions of Christmas in the USA I grew up with and have taken part in over the years are a significant part of who I am. Today, at the age of 67, I found myself reflecting on what Christmas means to me now and I decided to write down some of my thoughts and share them here. No doubt Christmas means many different things to different ones among you, my diverse network of Facebook friends.
What the following paragraphs contain are just my reflections, ideas drawn from my experiences and readings that perhaps could be food for thought to those so inclined. I read your posts and realize you don't all think the same way and believe the same things. Some of you claim the Christian faith while some are proud to be atheists. Some of you profess another of the world's religious faiths such as Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism or Islam and some have your own personal spiritual beliefs and practices outside of any established faith community. Some of you think that religion is a major cause of our social and geo-political ills and that we'd all be better off without it. Some of you love everything about the Christmas season from the traditions of your family to the shopping and gift-giving, the manger scenes and lighting of candles in your churches, and the endless rounds of Christmas songs, spiritual and secular, old and new. Others of you detest the commercialization of Christmas and lament that people seem to have lost the original meaning of the celebration. Then again, you may not care about any of this or you may think everyone who doesn't believe as you do is going to Hell, Christmas or no Christmas.
Whatever you may believe, I accept all of you as you are and do not presume to tell you what you should believe or feel about Christmas or religion or God. For that matter, I'm not interested in being told what I should feel or believe, either, so please don't go there (and, If you do go there, I will delete your comment!). However, please feel free to fact check me on what I say below if you wish and correct anything you believe I got wrong.
When it comes to Christmas, if you put all of the differences of belief to the side, don't trouble your mind with sophisticated theological arguments, and simply read what is written in any reputable translation of the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (or in the original languages if you happen to be a scholar), I think you will see that the man English-speakers like me call Jesus taught love for all of humanity, that we are all brothers and sisters. He told his followers to renounce their attachment to the transient wealth, privileges, social status, and pleasures of the world, to renounce violence and revenge, to be humble like a small child, to pray for and forgive their enemies. He said his followers shouldn't concern themselves with who got to sit in the most prestigious spots in Heaven, that "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." He told his disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven belonged to those who are "poor in spirit" and that "the meek shall inherit the earth." He taught that whatever you fail to do for anyone in need, especially "the least of your brothers," you fail to do to for him; and, likewise, whatever you do for anyone in need, you do for him. He said we should not judge others but should be ever mindful of our own thoughts and actions. Jesus taught that if you follow his teachings and put your trust in the creator, who he said loves you more than even the best mother or father, you would not need to worry about what happens to you in this life or what comes afterwards because you will be taken care of. He taught that the birth of a child is the hope of humanity. He exhorted his disciples to "follow me" and demonstrated what that meant by willingly sacrificing his life for them and for all.
To my mind in light of my life experience, these teachings hang together and make sense. They make more sense to me than trying to figure out exactly what we need to believe in order to get rewarded and to avoid being punished after we die, which we all will soon enough. If we think endorsing the correct belief on the basis of someone's authoritative interpretation is the truly important thing, we may well think that following the teachings about the way we should live is not so important. We might then slip into rationalizing that it's safe to blow off the practical teachings because our adherence to the correct formula of belief is the ticket to eternal bliss that will nullify our less than conscientious efforts to follow the words and example of the teacher. We might continue to prioritize acquiring wealth, status, and power and to continue thinking I and people like me are better and more deserving of wealth, status, and power than people who look, talk, live and believe differently than us and that those others don't really count so it's OK not to care about their lives and well-being. We might even rationalize that it's OK to be dishonest and hypocritical in our public lives as long as we endorse the beliefs that will get us past St. Peter when we arrive at the gate.
Assuming I'm not too far off in my understanding of what Jesus said we ought to do in this life, I wonder what our world could be like if we all reflected on the Christmas story of his humble origins, considered the wisdom of his teachings as they have come down to us, took to heart his guidance on how to be, and did our best to live accordingly? As a man who was brought up in the Methodist Church with the humble example of faith set by my mother and my older sister, Anne, that's what Christmas means to me, that there's hope for all of us, even the smallest and the least of our brothers and sisters, that how we view and treat one another, even ourselves, and how we live is what counts, in short, that we should love one another "the way I loved you" and have faith that everything will be ok. I wonder...
Wishing to each of you and to everyone everywhere a spirit of love and goodwill, I am:
Yours truly,
Owen
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Silliness and seriousness
"Is this who we are, just the stories we've known?" (From my original song Midnight on Neptune.)
The Universe is what it is. We human beings look for and believe we find meaning that seems to be a product of our own cognitive processes. Of course, those processes are a product of the Universe, so perhaps there is some transcendent truth, some overarching meaning of all this. I sometimes have thought the meaning of the Universe is "I love you."
Dante, following Catholic theology, viewed human life as a Divine Comedy where all of our thrashing around and human foibles come to a happy ending- at least, for those of us who die holding the right beliefs and attitudes. I recall terrifying experiences under the influence of what I was told was LSD where I heard loud thoughts echoing in my mind, "Is it serious or is it funny?" During those awful acid trips I believed I was already in Hell with no chance of escape. It was always a great relief when the drug wore off and my usual construction of reality returned. That frightening idea is a paranoid delusion I have for the most part reasoned myself out of buying into. My life is only serious or funny to the extent I see it that way. In short, it's subjective; and, to me, it's both.
Dante's Christian theology holds that Hell is simply separation from God, temporary in this world, permanent in the world one finds oneself in after death if Jesus passes judgement on us and finds us lacking. After much reading, reflection, and soul-searching I arrived at the belief a creator of some sort must be responsible for the vast and seemingly eternal Universe we perceive and exist within; but, as for the nature of the creator, who knows? I can no longer entertain the simple fairytale stories I was taught in Sunday school at St. James Methodist Church in Athens. I've written about the issue earlier in this blog. Every religion boils down to the beliefs, practices, and opinions of human beings like me. They all revolve around archetypal myths from which verbal formulations are extracted. Dedicated scholarly experts who espouse the same religion disagree completely on how to interpret and apply basic tenets. Wise thinkers concluded long ago that no verbal formulation could ever contain a transcendent creator.
All of the above notwithstanding, the imprint of my religious and cultural experiences remains a strong force in my cognitive processes and perceptions of self and world. The values inculcated into my psyche- humility, compassion, sacrifice, service, forgiveness- are Christian. My highly critical view of the Christian world, the network of people who claim the faith, follows from my perception that Yeshua has been abandoned by most of his nominal followers and the organized denominations and churches they operate. The support of Donald Trump by 75% of US white evangelical Protestants in a recent study is a stark illustration of how far many flocks have strayed from the Shepherd.
My one-liner on this subject: "Poor Jesus. First he gets crucified, then he gets thrown under the bus."
Now, finally getting around to point of this entry, I am very prone to satirical silliness, most of which remains hidden in the private events of my mental life. Bob Dylan, who profoundly influence my view of life, wrote, "it's easy to see without looking too far that not much is really sacred."
My one-liner on Bob: "He confirmed that things were as fucked up as I thought they were."
I haven't changed my mind on the screwed-upness of things in the ensuing years. My view of humanity is twofold- we as a species have done amazing things in our science, technology, engineering, literature, art, music, medicine; and, yet, we have failed overall to achieve an enlightened social culture. Sure, there are many pockets of enlightenment scattered around the Earth; but, the results of the unfolding progression of government at all levels are deeply discouraging. The prosperity of the few is built on the backs of countless "disrobed faceless forms of no position." We face numerous existential threats of our own creation, notably nuclear war and climate change. Abuse of the vulnerable by the powerful rages on in events ranging from the personal to the international.
Perhaps my dim view of human society as a whole accounts for the satirical silliness pervading my inner life. What am I referring to here? One major manifestation takes the form of repetitive chant-like songs I find myself producing as I go about the business of my daily activities.
Hey hey, sweetie/
Hey hey, honey/
Stop acting stupid/
and give me all the money
is a relatively innocuous example. It may begin with or continue to numerous variations-
Hey, hey, Negroes/Hey, hey bozos/
Hey, hey, whingbats/Hey, hey Ayatollahs/
I'm the one that they call the Ayatollah/
You're the one known as Dr, Squatcha-Bozo/
I am it/You ain't shit/
Bite Mr. Prick/
'Cause I'm the Ayatollah...
In line with Dylan's observation, I make light of virtually everything, not least of all myself. Of course, I wouldn't want most people to know about these little songs.
But, the other side of the coin is this- when it comes down to nuts and bolts, I take life seriously. I devoted most of my adult life to academic training, professional practice, and family, striving diligently and successfully to create a haven of relative safety and security for myself, Mary Lou, and our children. Besides music, the most meaningful aspect of my retired life is affirming others and helping them materially when opportunities present themselves. Conclusion- my silliness is a way to cope with my pain and disappointment from years of bravely looking at so much of what my fellow humans do, to laugh at it rather than to weep.
The Universe is what it is. We human beings look for and believe we find meaning that seems to be a product of our own cognitive processes. Of course, those processes are a product of the Universe, so perhaps there is some transcendent truth, some overarching meaning of all this. I sometimes have thought the meaning of the Universe is "I love you."
Dante, following Catholic theology, viewed human life as a Divine Comedy where all of our thrashing around and human foibles come to a happy ending- at least, for those of us who die holding the right beliefs and attitudes. I recall terrifying experiences under the influence of what I was told was LSD where I heard loud thoughts echoing in my mind, "Is it serious or is it funny?" During those awful acid trips I believed I was already in Hell with no chance of escape. It was always a great relief when the drug wore off and my usual construction of reality returned. That frightening idea is a paranoid delusion I have for the most part reasoned myself out of buying into. My life is only serious or funny to the extent I see it that way. In short, it's subjective; and, to me, it's both.
Dante's Christian theology holds that Hell is simply separation from God, temporary in this world, permanent in the world one finds oneself in after death if Jesus passes judgement on us and finds us lacking. After much reading, reflection, and soul-searching I arrived at the belief a creator of some sort must be responsible for the vast and seemingly eternal Universe we perceive and exist within; but, as for the nature of the creator, who knows? I can no longer entertain the simple fairytale stories I was taught in Sunday school at St. James Methodist Church in Athens. I've written about the issue earlier in this blog. Every religion boils down to the beliefs, practices, and opinions of human beings like me. They all revolve around archetypal myths from which verbal formulations are extracted. Dedicated scholarly experts who espouse the same religion disagree completely on how to interpret and apply basic tenets. Wise thinkers concluded long ago that no verbal formulation could ever contain a transcendent creator.
All of the above notwithstanding, the imprint of my religious and cultural experiences remains a strong force in my cognitive processes and perceptions of self and world. The values inculcated into my psyche- humility, compassion, sacrifice, service, forgiveness- are Christian. My highly critical view of the Christian world, the network of people who claim the faith, follows from my perception that Yeshua has been abandoned by most of his nominal followers and the organized denominations and churches they operate. The support of Donald Trump by 75% of US white evangelical Protestants in a recent study is a stark illustration of how far many flocks have strayed from the Shepherd.
My one-liner on this subject: "Poor Jesus. First he gets crucified, then he gets thrown under the bus."
Now, finally getting around to point of this entry, I am very prone to satirical silliness, most of which remains hidden in the private events of my mental life. Bob Dylan, who profoundly influence my view of life, wrote, "it's easy to see without looking too far that not much is really sacred."
My one-liner on Bob: "He confirmed that things were as fucked up as I thought they were."
I haven't changed my mind on the screwed-upness of things in the ensuing years. My view of humanity is twofold- we as a species have done amazing things in our science, technology, engineering, literature, art, music, medicine; and, yet, we have failed overall to achieve an enlightened social culture. Sure, there are many pockets of enlightenment scattered around the Earth; but, the results of the unfolding progression of government at all levels are deeply discouraging. The prosperity of the few is built on the backs of countless "disrobed faceless forms of no position." We face numerous existential threats of our own creation, notably nuclear war and climate change. Abuse of the vulnerable by the powerful rages on in events ranging from the personal to the international.
Perhaps my dim view of human society as a whole accounts for the satirical silliness pervading my inner life. What am I referring to here? One major manifestation takes the form of repetitive chant-like songs I find myself producing as I go about the business of my daily activities.
Hey hey, sweetie/
Hey hey, honey/
Stop acting stupid/
and give me all the money
is a relatively innocuous example. It may begin with or continue to numerous variations-
Hey, hey, Negroes/Hey, hey bozos/
Hey, hey, whingbats/Hey, hey Ayatollahs/
I'm the one that they call the Ayatollah/
You're the one known as Dr, Squatcha-Bozo/
I am it/You ain't shit/
Bite Mr. Prick/
'Cause I'm the Ayatollah...
In line with Dylan's observation, I make light of virtually everything, not least of all myself. Of course, I wouldn't want most people to know about these little songs.
But, the other side of the coin is this- when it comes down to nuts and bolts, I take life seriously. I devoted most of my adult life to academic training, professional practice, and family, striving diligently and successfully to create a haven of relative safety and security for myself, Mary Lou, and our children. Besides music, the most meaningful aspect of my retired life is affirming others and helping them materially when opportunities present themselves. Conclusion- my silliness is a way to cope with my pain and disappointment from years of bravely looking at so much of what my fellow humans do, to laugh at it rather than to weep.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Friday, December 13, 2019
The note before the note (Reginald, Brenda, Bobby, Mimi via Messenger)
Dec 9, 2019 2:37 PM
Athens, Georgia
2020 Class of 70 Pre-Party Planning Notes
Before beginning rehearsals, we will need to accomplish the following:
1) Recruit the necessary instrumentalists and vocalists for the party band.
2) Decide on the length, format, and financing of the event (e.g., number of sets of music, how refreshments will be provided, how much to charge people who attend, whether and how performers will be compensated, etc).
3) Identify and secure a venue for the Pre-Party
4) Develop songs and sets for the musical program
5) Develop practice schedule and location(s).
So far, we have two guitarist (Rick and myself), six vocalists (Mimi, Brenda, Reginald, Bobby, Rick and me) and an accomplished keyboard player (Bill Pappas) Brenda knows who agreed to play with us. Reginald and Bobby could also serve as a trumpet section should they wish to. Mimi suggested recruiting Deanie May Fincher to sing and Brenda agreed to ask her. We will need a bass player and drummer to complete a basic line-up.
My good friend, bassist Dave Stammer, who played at the 2015 Pre-Party and lives in Dallas, TX agreed to be in the band several months ago but has not responded to my recent efforts to contact him. I suggested asking Athens veteran bass player Gregg Veale and will contact him. John Harriman could be asked in case Gregg can't do it. Bobby has a call in to Cal Hale to ask him if he would be our drummer. I've played will both Gregg and Cal (and John, too, a long time ago). They are all fine musicians who are enjoyable to work with. Most or all of the above except me live in the Athens or Atlanta areas (where do you live, Mimi?) making it easier to arrange rehearsals.
I would like everyone to come up with songs you'd like to perform and send me your suggestions. Mimi, Brenda and (hopefully) Deanie will form a "girl group" to perform suitable songs, perhaps in one entire 45-50 minute set. They could also perform in several shorter segments such as once during each of 3 or 4 sets. I'm open to all ideas about that. Last time I planned for 3 sets and the band ran out of time to perform all the songs we had rehearsed. I would suggest we plan on about 2.5-3 hours of music in 3 sets with breaks in between for a total of 3.5 hours (maybe 730pm until 11pm or 8pm until 1130pm).
Hendershot's was a great venue for the 2015 Pre=Party. Should we see about lining it up for this one?
That's all I've got so far. Input from everyone would be great and much appreciated. Let me know your thoughts, ideas and song suggestions!
Owen
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Note to Pre-Party Principals
Reginald and Brenda,
I'm not including Bobby on this message because he's dealing with follow up on cancer treatment right now and he doesn't need to worry about anything else. I will be driving back to Baton Rouge all day tomorrow. Thinking about the planning to date for the proposed Pre-Party, I'm concerned that my initial vision for the event isn't coming together as far as who is willing and able to plan, rehearse together, and perform. Even coordinating discussions seems to present difficulties. For the 5 past events I produced in Athens, I did most of this single-handedly including agreeing at the beginning to pay the musicians (which gave them an incentive to commit and rehearse). I wonder if that's the only way to make it work this time? We still don't have a drummer or bass player lined up and having a place to rehearse is a question mark.
For the 2015 Pre-Party I recruited (and paid) David Herndon and we rehearsed at his house in Athens. I paid everyone else who played as well plus paying for the catered food and recouped some of it from the cover charge.
Rehearsals for the 2017 event I produced took place at Rick's house in Atlanta and involved people from Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Dallas. This wasn't ideal but we pulled it off fairly well. I paid 4 people $1000 each for that one.
I didn't charge a cover for that one. I did all that voluntarily and have no regrets about it. This is just to point out what it takes to have a successful party. I have a few ideas for how we could solve the various problems but will wait until I get home to formulate them in writing. I wanted to make you two aware of my concerns so you may consider them and see what you think. I will get back with you within a day or two after I get home.
Owen
Finally back in Athens
After Thanksgiving, Mary Lou and I drove back to Baton Rouge from Patty's home in Dallas with Cody and Maureen, listening to "S*Town," a podcast series centering on a brilliant, tormented, eccentric man living in the small town of Woodstock, Alabama. I attended the LSU-Texas A&M football game with Cody, as Maureen wasn't feeling well. Cody and Maureen left on Sunday. As they were getting in Maureen's Accura, they mentioned possibly having two extra tickets to the SEC Championship game the following Saturday (Dec 7) in Atlanta between LSU and Georgia. I made a quick calculation and offered to buy the tickets if the couple they invited declined them. The tickets were available and I quickly developed a plan to visit to Athens after the game.
I offered a ticket to Roy Bell, whom I haven't been keeping up with adequately, but he couldn't go. Bobby Daniel was next up and he accepted. I drove to Roswell on Friday where I stayed with my old friend, Blair, met Bobby at his high rise condo building in Atlanta (he owns two units) on Saturday morning, went with him to the game (wherein LSU administered a crushing defeat to the Dawgs), stayed that night with Bobby's old friend and former IBM colleague, Steve, who has a beautiful house, and followed Bobby back to Athens where I've stayed Sunday and Monday nights at his house.
Sunday, Bobby and Fran had Brenda Poss and Rick Burgess over for dinner and socializing centered on discussing plans for the AHS Class of '70 50th Reunion Pre-Party I had agreed some time ago to organize and host on May 1, 2020. Reginald Whitehead was invited but cancelled due to being to tired to drive over from his home in Atlanta. I had texted Mimi DuBose and her Winettes (Anne, Peggy, and Penny) to offer them an enhanced role in the 2020 event. Mimi replied during the course of the evening and suggested we recruit Brenda and Deanie May Fincher, not knowing Brenda was sitting across the room from me. Mimi and Brenda agreed to be on board and Brenda said she would approach Deanie about signing on.
Yesterday (Monday, Dec 9), I was invited to lunch with Lynn Hutcheson and her old high school friend, Mary Stephens. Lynn gave me a very cool poster she'd been saving for me from the Filmore Athens event I hadn't been able to attend. Last evening, I went to dinner at Hilltop Grille with Bobby, Fran, Roy and Debbie Bell, Kathy Betts, and Dayle Freeman. The pecan crusted trout I had was mediocre at best but the company was lovely. It would take pages to fill in the details of the experiences covered in this paragraph and they would probably bore the reader, if any, further if I recorded them. So I move on and stick to the major points.
Bobby was diagnosed with liver cancer about two years ago. His treatment went well and he has had no recurrence thus far. Bobby and Fran left at 5am this morning for follow-up testing at a cancer clinic in Atlanta. I only learned yesterday I would need to leave with them and find another place to sleep tonight. Roy and Debbie kindly accommodated. I got up at 4am this morning and went out the door on schedule. Later, I met another old and dear friend, Laura Margeson, for coffee around 7am. I got a text from Debbie at 8 saying come on over which I did. Roy came back from checking his job site about 9am and we drove out to look at the tract of land with a partially finished house they recently bought out in the country near Sandy Cross, Georgia. They will
Spending time with my closest Athens friends has been lovely. It's been over a year since I visited Athens due to a variety of factors, being diagnosed with and treated for detached left retina beginning early this year being the biggest. I've had four surgical procedures so far with at least one more to remove silicone oil required; and, a successful outcome isn't guaranteed. However, I've learned to get by with one working eye as evidenced by driving from Baton Rouge to Georgia without difficulty.
My focal concern today is the direction of my musical pursuits. The session with Marc Cooper in Redding, CA produced four partially completed song tracks. Initial discussions and correspondence with Brenda, Rick, Bobby, Reginald and Mimi DuBose about the Pre-Party have not been encouraging as all of them except Rick have expressed ambivalence about their commitment to the event. My own enthusiasm for all of my creative ideas and projects has been weak for the most part recently. Today I'm considering whether to press on or to abort the mission. I'm free to do what I want and I have the money to underwrite any realistic project I might pursue. I need to arrive at clarity and proceed deliberately once I get there.
I offered a ticket to Roy Bell, whom I haven't been keeping up with adequately, but he couldn't go. Bobby Daniel was next up and he accepted. I drove to Roswell on Friday where I stayed with my old friend, Blair, met Bobby at his high rise condo building in Atlanta (he owns two units) on Saturday morning, went with him to the game (wherein LSU administered a crushing defeat to the Dawgs), stayed that night with Bobby's old friend and former IBM colleague, Steve, who has a beautiful house, and followed Bobby back to Athens where I've stayed Sunday and Monday nights at his house.
Sunday, Bobby and Fran had Brenda Poss and Rick Burgess over for dinner and socializing centered on discussing plans for the AHS Class of '70 50th Reunion Pre-Party I had agreed some time ago to organize and host on May 1, 2020. Reginald Whitehead was invited but cancelled due to being to tired to drive over from his home in Atlanta. I had texted Mimi DuBose and her Winettes (Anne, Peggy, and Penny) to offer them an enhanced role in the 2020 event. Mimi replied during the course of the evening and suggested we recruit Brenda and Deanie May Fincher, not knowing Brenda was sitting across the room from me. Mimi and Brenda agreed to be on board and Brenda said she would approach Deanie about signing on.
Yesterday (Monday, Dec 9), I was invited to lunch with Lynn Hutcheson and her old high school friend, Mary Stephens. Lynn gave me a very cool poster she'd been saving for me from the Filmore Athens event I hadn't been able to attend. Last evening, I went to dinner at Hilltop Grille with Bobby, Fran, Roy and Debbie Bell, Kathy Betts, and Dayle Freeman. The pecan crusted trout I had was mediocre at best but the company was lovely. It would take pages to fill in the details of the experiences covered in this paragraph and they would probably bore the reader, if any, further if I recorded them. So I move on and stick to the major points.
Bobby was diagnosed with liver cancer about two years ago. His treatment went well and he has had no recurrence thus far. Bobby and Fran left at 5am this morning for follow-up testing at a cancer clinic in Atlanta. I only learned yesterday I would need to leave with them and find another place to sleep tonight. Roy and Debbie kindly accommodated. I got up at 4am this morning and went out the door on schedule. Later, I met another old and dear friend, Laura Margeson, for coffee around 7am. I got a text from Debbie at 8 saying come on over which I did. Roy came back from checking his job site about 9am and we drove out to look at the tract of land with a partially finished house they recently bought out in the country near Sandy Cross, Georgia. They will
Spending time with my closest Athens friends has been lovely. It's been over a year since I visited Athens due to a variety of factors, being diagnosed with and treated for detached left retina beginning early this year being the biggest. I've had four surgical procedures so far with at least one more to remove silicone oil required; and, a successful outcome isn't guaranteed. However, I've learned to get by with one working eye as evidenced by driving from Baton Rouge to Georgia without difficulty.
My focal concern today is the direction of my musical pursuits. The session with Marc Cooper in Redding, CA produced four partially completed song tracks. Initial discussions and correspondence with Brenda, Rick, Bobby, Reginald and Mimi DuBose about the Pre-Party have not been encouraging as all of them except Rick have expressed ambivalence about their commitment to the event. My own enthusiasm for all of my creative ideas and projects has been weak for the most part recently. Today I'm considering whether to press on or to abort the mission. I'm free to do what I want and I have the money to underwrite any realistic project I might pursue. I need to arrive at clarity and proceed deliberately once I get there.
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