Maybe He Agreed With His Mum

We can only be happy when we don’t assume that the object of life is happiness.
―    George Orwell
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.  When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I wrote down ‘happy’.  They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.
―    John Lennon
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On This Day In:
2020	Imagine Existence
	Posing As Action
2019	Voices Of The Past
2018	Sunrises, Rainbows And Newborn Babies
2017	Untold Agony
2016	Just Borrowed
2015	Warning
2014	Always More Productive
2013	Is Not
2012	Loosely Translated
2011	Your Opinions Are Not My Facts

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I’m A Dreamer

Imagine
Favorite Line(s):
You, you may say
I’m a dreamer,
But I’m not
The only
One
I hope some day
You’ll join us
And the world
Will be as one
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On This Day In:
2021	Closer To Understanding
	On My Knees
2020	Profit From Ongoing Disintegration
	I’m A Dreamer
2019	Even When We Have A Criminal / Dangerous / Incompetent President
2018	But It Keeps Trying
	Blue Wave, But Not Blue Tsunami
2017	The Promise At Risk
2016	Or As Will Come In Time
2015	It Is Another Beautiful Day At The Red Pony Bar And Continual Soiree…
2014	Days And Years
2013	Currency And Transport
2012	Something Which Did Not Exist Before
2011	True Magic

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Freakishly Happy Cowboy

I’m not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything.  I’ve always been a freak.  So I’ve been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know.  I’m one of those people.
―    John Lennon
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.  When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I wrote down ‘happy’.  They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.
―    John Lennon
[When I was young I was asked what I wanted to be when I grow up, I used to reply:  “Young.”   Now, when asked (usually sarcastically) the same question, I reply:  “Old.”   I guess that’s just the cowboy in me…
Happy Birthday to me!    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	The Air Is Thinner, But It’s A Killer View
2021	Staying Young While Getting Old
	Mid-Afternoon (Hopefully)
2020	Still Measuring
2019	Living On The Couch
	Who Am I – One Interpretation
2018	A Gardening Goal: Feed The Flowers
2017	Freakishly Happy Cowboy
2016	One More, Please
2015	Infinite Adventure
2014	Unpaved
2013	Headstones
2012	Keeping Young
2011	Lessons Well Learned

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Life On The Range

Many years ago, I used to watch an interview show called: “The Dick Cavett Show“.  The host (Dick Cavett) was an intellectual who interviewed a wide variety of people.  If you saw the movie “Forrest Gump“, Dick Cavett was the guy interviewing John Lennon and Forrest Gump and implied this is where John came up with the idea for the lyrics to the song “Imagine“.
Anyway, in the show I was watching, Cavett was interviewing a couple of Cowboy poets.  Now, I never imagined there were such folks, but they read a few of their poems and I remember being very impressed.  I remember thinking, “If I ever get a chance to pick up one of their books, I will.”
Well, decades have gone by and I’d not found any (nor had I seriously looked), but about six weeks ago I had a dream in which the memory of the interview re-played.  As it rarely happens that I remember my dreams, I thought it amusing to have had this particular dream.  The following afternoon, I had to go to the bank which is immediately across the street from the used book store I frequent (Half-Price Books), so I thought I’d take a quick gander at the $2.00 closeouts.  Lo and behold, I found “Cowboy Poetry: A Gathering“, (1985©) edited by Hal Cannon.  As a firm believer in serendipity, I bought the book.
Some of the poems are intended to be humorous, some serious; but all have a “stuff of life” simpleness about them.  Friends, drinking, being alone, feeling loneliness (which is different), danger, and mainly freedom.  The freedom which comes from a sense of being part of the cycle of earth and nature and just getting “it” done – whatever “it” happens to be that day.
If you want to understand the “Western” mentality of Cowboys in America, this kind of work is a very good place to start.
It’s not Shakespeare or Nashville, but very much Chris LeDoux.  Recommended reading.
PS: if you’re not familiar with the works of Chris LeDoux, just YouTube his name.   Unfortunately, he has passed away, but his music remains…
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On This Day In:
2021	Four Down, Three To Go
	It Still Ain’t
	Boosted
2020	Three Down, Four To Go
	Twenty-Four ‘Til You
2019	Two Down, Five To Go
2018	Year One, Done!
2017	First Day Of Retirement!
2016	Revere And Criticize
2015	Global Climate Change May Test This Statement
2014	Adaptability Won
2013	Disappeared
2012	Fuller
	Life On The Range
	More Classics
2011	Stoned Again?
2010	Insubordination… And That’s Why I Love Her!
	Losing – Week One

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Warm Smiles

Last night, Hil, Sarah and I watched the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London.  At the very end, there was a performance by Sir Paul McCartney singing “Hey, Jude“.
Seeing Sir Paul reminded me that a week or so ago, I caught a bit of “Forrest Gump” while I was channel surfing.  Forest was being interviewed by Dick Cavett and next to him (Forest) was John Lennon.  They went through a little spiel which was meant to “seem” as if it was the creative idea behind my favorite Lennon song:  “Imagine“.
Seeing Sir Paul also reminded me of one of my favorite songs by him:  “Silly Love Songs“.
I’ve been meaning to add them both to my Poems page for some time, but have never gotten around to it.  Anyway, it’s done now.  Both touch my soul in completely different ways – the latter seems frivolous and the former profound – but both are simple AND serious – about love (and singing) and about peace.
Both bring warm smiles to face and heart and a wistfulness for other times and for what might have been had they stayed together longer (or rejoined in later years).
As always, read the words and then go listen to the songs.   Enjoy!
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I Had Other Plans

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.
—    John Lennon
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On This Day In:
2021	Even If I Have An Opinion
	We’ve Just Gotten Confirmation
2020	#45: A Word Of Advice
	But I’m In No Hurry To Get There
	Decision Made: #46 — Go Joe
2019	Like Many Forms Of Art
	Two Towers
2018	Land Of My Birth – Executive Order Notwithstanding
	Keeping It Real…
2017	Use A Bigger Can
2016	Vote Tomorrow – 8 November 2016
2015	Old Bond
2014	Preferences
2013	Prudence
2012	Reason Against Reasons
2011	The 1% Rule Of Large Groups
2010	Going, Going, On…
	Expect Mike
	Wasted Again?
	You Did?
	Reflecting Plenty
	Old Math
	Mental Images
	Here’s Lookin’ At You, Kid
	Learn
	Nothing Feared Today
	I Had Other Plans
	Ratings…
	Really?
	Encourage Greatness

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Really?

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.
—    John Lennon
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On This Day In:
2021	Even If I Have An Opinion
	We’ve Just Gotten Confirmation
2020	#45: A Word Of Advice
	But I’m In No Hurry To Get There
	Decision Made: #46 — Go Joe
2019	Like Many Forms Of Art
	Two Towers
2018	Land Of My Birth – Executive Order Notwithstanding
	Keeping It Real…
2017	Use A Bigger Can
2016	Vote Tomorrow – 8 November 2016
2015	Old Bond
2014	Preferences
2013	Prudence
2012	Reason Against Reasons
2011	The 1% Rule Of Large Groups
2010	Going, Going, On…
	Expect Mike
	Wasted Again?
	You Did?
	Reflecting Plenty
	Old Math
	Mental Images
	Here’s Lookin’ At You, Kid
	Learn
	Nothing Feared Today
	I Had Other Plans
	Ratings…
	Really?
	Encourage Greatness

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