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JimmyC
Remember Sept. 11, 2001.  The other day Maia (my 12 year old) was doing an assignment on this terrible event for school. She had hit the site September 11 Digital Archive and was reading some stories and/or pictures to find one that most “moved” her. I came down to see her crying and Daniel (her brother) not really understanding what was wrong.  She had read a story about 11 firefighters that had died in the rescue attempt and she was devastated.  I love my children and can only protect them for now but give them what they need to make it in the world - whatever world its like when they are in my shoes.  I hope we all do what we can to change things so this never happens again, whether its at a national level if you have the power or in your home teaching what is right and wrong - to change your world. Peace.Â
I wish I could write what I’m feeling right now. Previous related posts: what keeps you up at night Or better yet:  the ground is dark..  Lets just say my passion and my patience at “work” are at odds right now.
Swift Sweet Rush by Jim Charanis
Took a bunch at Maia’s recital but this one of her and her friend running across the bridge in euphoric enthusiasm before the performance was candid. Funny how things work out - life is what happens when you are making plans.
Derek Art - Illustration, Serigraphs, Paintings, and Tiki Mugs
A friend with a very cool website but the real cool is the stuff he does. If you like retro 60’s funky comic meets Africa meets tiki; or want to hire an artist, Derek is your man.
Our friend and Neighbor Jeffrey Stepakoff has been writing over the past few years while hiding out in our quite southern neighborhood. Well not too quiet - we all have kids as do he and Elizabeth. I’d been wondering what he was up to after his successful career of TV writing in L.A. Someone with his talent cannot stop writing for long. Enjoy:
Barnes & Noble.com - Books: Billion-Dollar Kiss, by Jeffrey Stepakoff, Hardcover
The kids love to torture each other - My “literal” Daniel cannot stand that song Cupid’s Chokehold by Gym Class Heros because they sample the Supertramp song - Breakfast In America and what is worse they blend two different parts of the song - putting the “badadadum” right after the “take a look at my girlfriend” - and it is a hoot to watch Maia torture him when I sing the original supertramp version and she simplyl floats in a “badadadum” right after that part.
got me thinking of the standard - we all worked hard to learn the lyrics to. It would work today just as easily…The Logical Song
Supertramp - The Logical Song Lyrics
When I was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees
Well they’d be singing so happily
Oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me
But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh responsible, practical
And they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable
Oh clinical, oh intellectual, cynical
There are times when all the world’s asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am
Now watch what you say
Or they’ll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh fanatical, criminal
Oh won’t you sign up your name
We’d like to feel you’re
Acceptable, respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable
At night when all the world’s asleep
The questions run soo deep
For such a simple man
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am, who I am, who I am, who I am
Remember those days when we had LP’s and Albums? My brother and I exchanged an email about this:
Neil Said: “…our kids will never know from records. I used to love looking at the art work and all the cool stuff. It’s official: We’re old.”
Yea - I already ranted about that - but he also really has a good point. That was a part of listening to albums. Sitting around in your family room or bedroom. Listening to the latest album from The Who, Styx, Bruce or KISS. It was like your birthday every time you scraped together enough to go get one. I remember getting bootleg albums of DEVO with my fellow fans early in their history - and the odd art work the producers put together was all part of it.
If you download iTunes (free) and use it to keep your library of music you know that they have added the “thumbing through your album collection” feature for one of the “views”. I think Steven Jobs (CEO Apple) is nostalgic that way. In fact, though, DVD’s will probably replace CD’s as some point in terms of music delivery because there is only room for music on them and a DVD allows for extra stuff - the stories, pictures, etc. And downloads are making them obsolete. Sometimes when you download a “full CD” from iTunes - usually 9.99 vs. .99 for the song you get a .pdf of information, art work, etc. Or even a video. I think everyone is hungry for that - meaning Baby Boomers and us “tweenies” that had that as kids. So that’s my prediction, blue-ray DVD’s with high fidelity (Hi Fi CD’s never became popular). It fits in well with our passive culture, sit around and let them tell us what to think. Wow us with special effects. Eventually though, with bandwith, it will also all be available on-line.
Referencing the Post “Why is this CD Giant?”Â
We were working in the basement and I said, “Hay kids, lets listen to some of dad’s old music.”
I have a turntable in my office in the basement. Sophia innocently asked..”Why are the CD’s Giant?” Never seen a record album before. People like to look back at baby boomers and my grandparents - regarding teh stuff they never had. Like color TV or TV at all. We remember when there were the first microwaves, personal computers, vcr’s, and cassette tapes. Yes - in the 4 years in college I went from a typewriter and learning COBOL on a Prime Mainframe to an Apple IIe where I learned BASIC and then an IBM PC where I learned WordStar. But Sophia didn’t even know what she was looking at. The bigger kids had since They have seen DJ’s and my records before. She is 6, time flew by and I hadn’t introduced her to those old songs yet, well those old albums, we have DaveFM here that plays all my old songs (over and over and over). Keep looking folks, it all changes fast.
Daniel only wanted to run two miles today. He joined me for the first mile up the hill and we ran back home, then I went back up it a little further and back home. I was Sad he isn’t into it as much anymore. He is concerned about play time with friends after school. Homework, running, friends, - not enough time during the school year. Choices for a 10 year old “dad, I’m a kid!”
He doesn’t practice his football, never really did with Soccer. I don’t know how these other kids do it; playing with friends must involve sports all the time. No way they can be that good at this age without it. When does the committment start for those that achieve greatness, is it an instinct to compete and an early maturity to do the work early to get there? Is it a lack of other choices, in the poor neighborhoods? Is it a gift from God?
When does a parent push, back off, go with them, leave them alone? Nobody wants thier kid to hate them, nobody wants thier kid to look back and say why didn’t you push me? This is true of Maia’s Ballet, Sophia’s Gymnastics - homework, whatever! My work is a breeze compared to being a leader for my kids.
NO logs in the blog for running these days. I stew in my own self-pity and just can’t seem to get my ass out there. Yes, right now I’m feeling sorry for myself. Not really though – just being dramatic.
I just finished Once A Runner by John L Parker. It was written in 1978 when I was 13 and interestingly enough, I began running seriously the following year in 9th grade. Not that I had read it, I only heard about it in the past year. Which tells you something about me. I’m a runner but not really. I had a glimpse, a flash, a chance and some moderate success in High School (5′07 mile; 5K in the 16 min range). But there were other guys that were just unbelievable. And those guys were in this book (well, not really - I mean figuratively, you get the drift). I remember them; they were not serious in the least. They were not gregarious or gigantic in stature or personality. But they were different. They were methodical in their approach to running, working and life. They plodded along, never missing a practice – running every day. Getting up in the morning before school – not loving it but just doing it. And they were fast. Yes – Fast Distance Runners, and they amazed me. There was a guy named Palomino or something and anther named Nits. They were not cool; but they were cool – I still don’t know how to describe it. But John Parker does.
In 9th grade I was the worst runner on the team. Me and another guy named Kenny. He was a quiet but patient little guy, I was small too, teased and had a chip on my shoulder. Guys like me made it with heart but we can only go so far. Guys like Kenny became Ken and Ken became one of the best cross country runners Maryland has ever produced. Guys like me led our teams but found other things to do in College and life. I never understood them until I read this book. I sometimes wonder if I had had one coach all through high school – especially one like Katsenburg or Lauer motivating me and teaching me if it would have continued through college. Those were heady times (I don’t know what that means but I wanted to write it).
I hope I get up tomorrow and run.
