Well, it looks like the kids are all back in school.
Tuesday night was wild. There was so much excitement in the air with all the families having their last minute get-together before school began. There haven't been that many kids around all summer, then suddenly, like an army of cockroaches, they were swarming out of the backyards into the streets. The exasperation of their grandparents' voices could be heard as they called out to the little rascals, who were riding their tiny tyke vehicles in and out of the adults' motor vehicles that were parked in the driveway, to find out where they were.
What a relief it was when the mini-bike they were riding at top speed up and down the street ran out of gas. Not just because of the awful gasoline fumes that filled the air as they drove by, but more because of the fear that the children riding the mini-bike would be hit by one of the diesel engine trucks that was driving along the road. It's easy to see that no one here, except for me, is worried about curbing oil consumption, or their children being hit by oncoming vehicles for that matter.
A few hours later, after the grandchildren and their parents had left, all was quiet and it was almost as if the sigh of relief that the grandparents let out at their departure resounded throughout the night air.
As for me, when all was dark and quiet, I looked up at the starry night sky and gave thanks for my solitary life.
And then I saw a shooting star!
Good night.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, October 5, 2009
Friday, June 26 - 4:11 in the morning ...
I woke up, like any other morning, to go to the bathroom before grabbing another two hours of sleep. Suddenly, while I was in the bathroom a thought popped into my head... 'If everyone in the world who loves Michael Jackson would just give him a dollar, his financial problems would be solved. Then he wouldn't have to do the concert tour and he could stay with his children.'
'Wow! That was weird. Where did that come from?' I thought.
Maybe it came from my sub-conscious because I had been reading a few weeks earlier about how he was strapped for funds and was going to do a world tour of fifty concerts beginning in July to pull himself out of his financial dilemma. I have no idea where it came from. I like Michael Jackson's music and grew up listening to his voice on the radio. He sometimes seems like a dear friend, especially when I heard him tell me that if I called out his name he would be there. Well this time I didn't even have to call out his name, he was in my mind. He was there.
Needless to say, I went back to bed and slept peacefully for another two hours. I woke up at 6:30. Then I got ready for work and left the house a little before seven. That was a little earlier than usual, because I wanted to stop by the twenty-four hour shop near the house and pick up something for lunch. I pulled into the parking lot of the shop at exactly 7:00 a.m., just when the radio news came on:
'Michael Jackson has been taken by ambulance to the hospital after his heart stopped beating this afternoon at his home in Los Angeles.'
Upon hearing the news my heart jumped into my throat. I couldn't move. I was shocked. I was worried.
I walked dazed into the shop and bought a sandwich and a drink then got back into the car and started to drive to work.
At 7:30 the news came over the radio:
'Michael Jackson has been pronounced dead.'
I felt so empty. He was gone. And then the tears came. Not in a violent way, but very softly. They streamed down my face as I drove the car. Was it a coincidence that he had come to mind that morning at 4:11? It was as if he had prepared me for the news. But still I didn't want to believe it.
During work, throughout the day, every few hours the tears would well up in me again. I didn't sob out, but the tears were just there. And they would roll down my cheeks involuntarily. I would be passing out papers and suddenly the tears were there again. One student asked what my favorite Michael Jackson song was and as I answered 'Ben', the tears welled up again.
My students have never known what tender feelings and respect I have always had for Michael Jackson, but I do remember that each year when they give their speeches on who they think is the most famous person in the world, usually more than a third of them introduce Michael Jackson. It has always been very touching to me to see how many people throughout the world he has influenced.
So in a few months they will give their speeches again. They will give their speeches on who they think is or was the most famous person in the world. It will be interesting to see if he has earned that immortal status that so many who went before him have earned. And of course I will probably have a large supply of tears to get me through the speeches.
'Wow! That was weird. Where did that come from?' I thought.
Maybe it came from my sub-conscious because I had been reading a few weeks earlier about how he was strapped for funds and was going to do a world tour of fifty concerts beginning in July to pull himself out of his financial dilemma. I have no idea where it came from. I like Michael Jackson's music and grew up listening to his voice on the radio. He sometimes seems like a dear friend, especially when I heard him tell me that if I called out his name he would be there. Well this time I didn't even have to call out his name, he was in my mind. He was there.
Needless to say, I went back to bed and slept peacefully for another two hours. I woke up at 6:30. Then I got ready for work and left the house a little before seven. That was a little earlier than usual, because I wanted to stop by the twenty-four hour shop near the house and pick up something for lunch. I pulled into the parking lot of the shop at exactly 7:00 a.m., just when the radio news came on:
'Michael Jackson has been taken by ambulance to the hospital after his heart stopped beating this afternoon at his home in Los Angeles.'
Upon hearing the news my heart jumped into my throat. I couldn't move. I was shocked. I was worried.
I walked dazed into the shop and bought a sandwich and a drink then got back into the car and started to drive to work.
At 7:30 the news came over the radio:
'Michael Jackson has been pronounced dead.'
I felt so empty. He was gone. And then the tears came. Not in a violent way, but very softly. They streamed down my face as I drove the car. Was it a coincidence that he had come to mind that morning at 4:11? It was as if he had prepared me for the news. But still I didn't want to believe it.
During work, throughout the day, every few hours the tears would well up in me again. I didn't sob out, but the tears were just there. And they would roll down my cheeks involuntarily. I would be passing out papers and suddenly the tears were there again. One student asked what my favorite Michael Jackson song was and as I answered 'Ben', the tears welled up again.
My students have never known what tender feelings and respect I have always had for Michael Jackson, but I do remember that each year when they give their speeches on who they think is the most famous person in the world, usually more than a third of them introduce Michael Jackson. It has always been very touching to me to see how many people throughout the world he has influenced.
So in a few months they will give their speeches again. They will give their speeches on who they think is or was the most famous person in the world. It will be interesting to see if he has earned that immortal status that so many who went before him have earned. And of course I will probably have a large supply of tears to get me through the speeches.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The things people do for money are unbelievable. The sacrifices they make. The compromises they will agree to if they think they can make an easy dollar. The time they spend just thinking of ways get rich quick by doing as little work possible is time wasted. Working in the dirt is the way it should be done. If only everyone had the value of hard work and believed in earning what they received by doing an honest day's work for an honest reward, the world would be a better place. However, there are too many people in this world eager to take advantage of someone who will do an honest day's work by trying to be the one who comes out on top no matter how hard the other person works.
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