Fall really has it all, bright colors over a melancholy heart.
There are few things that make me feel as great inside and out as the autumn of the year. Living in a legitimate four seasons area, a person is fortunate to see all of the positives and negatives that each time of year provides. Each has a list of positives and negatives but the one that makes me happiest is fall.
The nostalgia that naturally appears this time of year is so strong and vibrant that you not only think of those times in the past but you can feel them. The weather is cool, but not cold. It is the perfect weather for being outdoors and being outdoors connects you to activities in the past. Just closing your eyes and feeling the breeze on your face and smelling the air connects you to those times in your past when the
What more do you need?
same unique and powerful sensation washed over you. It could have been at a football game, a hunting trip, or even a through an autumnal sea of pumpkins. Whatever activity of fall entertained you in your past, it is back in your mind each and every time the autumnal equinox passes and the days get shorter.
For me there is a unique melancholy in the air that is universally enjoyed by all during this time of year. Each emotion needs to have a season and fall is the season of feeling a bit sad. I don’t think it is so much a season of endings, but more a season of letting go and moving forward.
Help yourself to a pumpkin. It’s fall!
The autumn air tempers the pain of some endings and allows for a person to deal with them in unison with the season. No matter how painful something was and the hurt that you feel, fall reminds us all that endings of all kinds are the way of things in life. Each glorious summer will end and all of its possibilities and joyous memories no longer exist in the cool, crisp fall air. They are gone and need to be put away as happy memories.
Yet there is a hope that fall brings in its melancholy. There is an understanding that although one season has ended and another year is approaching and in its ending we are allowed to close the book on it. Good, bad, indifferent, we are allowed to leave that year behind us and to move forward to new adventures where anything is possible, and another summer of fun awaits us, if we just have a little patience.
Autumn is the natural time of reflection that nature brings to us and allows a time of appreciation and enjoyment. Without endings, there are no new beginnings and fall allows you to remember the past, and the pleasurable experiences of your younger days and allows the ability to carry them into the future and to share these moments with the ones you care about.
As the leaves change color, contribute a bright message to the world and ultimately fall to their inevitable end, so will autumn and with it a small piece of you knows exactly what that feels like.
Nostalgic Music Month took place in October of 2017. Each day Mike Martin and I (Jon Hilton) chose nostalgic music and wrote about what they meant. Each attacked the subject differently and in the end, it was clear that music effects everyone in life. This is a reflection of that process.
What did I learn? Music is a constant for people of many different backgrounds. I learned that creating something is important to the soul. We should all be looking for ways to create every day. I also learned that many memories of people and events can be brought back to mind by listening to a song. Even though those memories are gone, sometimes they seem real enough to reach out and touch. If only for a minute.
What was great? Remembering the music was great but better than that was to visit the person that I was throughout My life. At different points of my development, there were a lot of different versions of myself over time. One thing I realized through this project is that the people that were a part of my life are still just as important today as they were then. Even though we are separated by time and circumstance the effects of those people are real. From childhood, high school, college, and adult life. All that affected me are still important.
What is missing? I think we could have actively involved more people if we had planned better. It was the nature of the project that we were not collaborating with each other about the daily productions. There were many artists that I didn’t include because there were only 31 days. I wrote about the ones that resonated with me on that day. Elton John, Cat Stevens, The Beatles, The Police, Alice Cooper, ACDC, Meatloaf, Pearl Jam and Jimmy Buffett are just a few off the top of my head I wish could have been included. Most of all though, it was fun and that is the juice that made it happen.
What is this leading to? In the beginning, the project was done with no expectations and no set agenda. The results have made me appreciate the ability to create. It is a powerful thing to create something that didn’t exist before you made it up in your mind. It is good for your body, mind, and spirit. It has also led to ideas of creating things in other genres. Video, podcasts, and of course more writing. Even if nobody else read these pages, it’s alright. The purpose was for self-expression and growth and that occurred.
The complete list of Nostalgic Music Month with links to each. Feel free to visit each one that resonates with you.
I learned people from Croatia are not good at hide and go seek
This is the end of the Super Gratitude Project on my website, it has been 31 days of nonstop gratitude. I have looked for things to be grateful about and fortunately it hasn’t been all that hard. For the final day I decided to express my gratitude for the entire year and all of the people I met. They changed my life!
Not the experience I expected
I learned people from Ireland drink and swear a lot!
If you had told me a year ago that much of the following year would be spent helping to organize and promote a summer camp, I would have thought you were on drugs or crazy or both. Yet here I am after a summer of learning at the Maine Golf and Tennis Academy. Here is what I am grateful for in this experience.
First for the wide range of experiences I was able to have, from hiring people and crafting a staff I hoped would be great, to seeing that staff come into existence and watching them grow, struggle and ultimately succeed by any form of measurement. There were also other organizational tasks I did not like. There was a required meeting every morning at 7:15. I am grateful I will never have to attend one again. But overall the experience in helping to run the camp was a great learning experience.
I learned people from England, don’t work well with rodents of any sort.
The most important thing I am grateful for though, it all of the great people that have entered my life this year. I have become friends with people from England, Australia, Ireland, and even Hungary. It was a true blessing to work with and build relationships with such great people. Each has contributed to my understanding of life and other people and for that I am truly grateful. Even though they are all gone home now, back to work, college and their “normal” lives, I think of them often. I think many would be surprised of the impact they had on me, even if they were there for a short time.
Future is so Bright
I also met the next Tiger Woods. His name is Alejandro and this image is going to be something ten years from now!
I have to be grateful for this year because of what it has given me for the future. I have developed an almost wanderlust to travel to different places in the country and across the world. One of my friends at camp told me that I should, move to Germany and live there for a year. Even though I don’t think I am ready for that yet, I now see it as an actual possibility in my life. I owe this new vision of what life can be to all of the people I met this year. I can only hope that the next year is filled with as many interesting characters.
I am truly blessed with friendship and experience and am grateful for it.
It is Day 30 of the Super Gratitude Challenge which means, only one more day to go. Today I am going write about how grateful I am for the experience of having a great family. Not everything in my life was perfect but there are a lot of things to be grateful for and I want to share just a few.
My Grandparents
I was fortunate to have a relationship with all of my grandparents, which was unique and I treasure. I also had the great good fortune of knowing all but one of my great grandparents as well. This extended family connection allowed me to be spoiled and feel like I was the center of a lot of people’s lives.
This picture, four generations of Hilton’s, taken in early 1970’s. My father, grandfather and great grandfather in the back. My brothers and myself in the front. Guess which one is me.
There were so many things that I was taught by these people, from how to behave myself and be polite when company came to the value of honesty and doing what you say. The greatest gift that each of them gave me in a different way was to tell me that to them, I was special and had the potential to do about anything. One by one, they passed away over the years and are all gone now, but their lessons live on in my heart and will for my life.
The Parents
Like most people in adulthood, we look at our parents with a knowing understanding. They were never going to be perfect, and my parents weren’t. But they did give me a safe and happy childhood. I was never abused, or neglected and felt again like my life mattered significantly to them. It still does today.
My father was a school teacher and coach and shared a love of sports with me and my siblings that still exists today. It is a way that we can relate to each other. My mother is a minister and she is still preaching every Sunday. Even though I don’t agree with her religious beliefs, she doesn’t push them on me. She is a thinker and writes and well, so do I. I got great gifts from each of them.
Sibling Appreciation
Well these people are the ones who have shared the common experience of growing up. There aren’t many people who really know what that means, but they each do.
All relationships are formed over a common experience, school, work, a hobby or your family life and siblings are the ones who really know who you are. I am grateful for the experiences of childhood, even though they involved a lot of arguing and many disagreements, there were a lot of shared moments of special times that even today are fondly remembered. I was one of four and that in itself made me part of a unique group. All of my family have first names that begin with the letter J.
So there it is, on Day 30 of this gratitude challenge I am thankful for all of my family members, those who have passed on and those that are still around.
I have been fortunate enough to fall into this strange little world and it has truly been a wonderful rabbit hole experience. There are thousands of people out there writing their thoughts, hoping to connect with others in a more meaningful way. These connections have helped me become a more comprehensive thinker and a more dynamic writer. There is no questioning that this experience has helped form my personal growth.
No Idea What I am Doing
It was several years ago that I first realized that there was a community of people who spent their time writing and diligently posting on their blogs each day. Providing know how thoughts and even motivation to the general population at large. I remember feeling like Alice in Wonderland, stepping into a new world I didn’t know existed. I had written on my website for a time, but really just did it for me, to express my feelings and thoughts. Who else would want to hear them? It must have been time to share.
The First Blogger got me Hooked
I had stumbled into this world because I installed Zemanta onto my site. It’s a program that makes adding articles from other people to the end of your blog easy. I actually got a note from one of the people I had pinged back. When I looked at their site, there was a green little dinosaur gravatar I couldn’t help clicking on. It was called Rarasaur and it was one of the best blogs I ever saw. It was there I left my first tentative comment and was blown away that I got a thoughtful response. It was awesome and started me searching deeper into the world of blogs.
Mysteries Abound
One of my most naive thoughts was the everyone who blogged seemed to have developed interesting monikers and identities that symbolized who they were and what they meant. It was too late for me at that point, I had already built my site years before. My name was no mystery, and I often wondered if I should start over with a secret identity. I often wonder about the lives of the bloggers I read. Do they have problems like me? How often does writer’s block affect them? What are they grateful for? What motivates them?
Bloggers I Love to Read
There really are so many that to make a list would short change somebody but I am going to list five excluding Rara because she clearly is a favorite and should be read. Many of these people I first read because they guest posted on her blog.
Mr. Tookles
This blogger from Holland is one of my favorite people in the world. She is a fantastic word artist and says more using fewer words than I could imagine possible. We share a love of bacon and have a mutual hope that life is going to show us what we are supposed to do. Don’t mess with her though, because she will hit you on the head with a frying pan. (her threat) Seriously, funny, intelligent and so very creative, she is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. Follow her and see what amazing things she creates.
Matticus-
He writes on his blog each day like it is a mission. I am often in awe of the number of posts he makes and the quality. He loves movies and movie dialogue and each Friday he leaves a post about it. He has a great sense of humor, but his best quality to me is the friendship and feedback he has shared with me on my work. He is a relatively new Dad, and with a young family I wonder how he finds the time, but I am glad he does. Reading his blog is a trip to an enchanted land, I encourage you to make the trip.
Sass and Balderdash
Written by the witty, sarcastic and sometimes inappropriate Katie, this website has never met a topic it wouldn’t address. Katie is funny and makes me laugh and usually think. I think she writes more to women than men, but I have honestly learned more about how women think about everything from shoes to working out in the gym. This blog is one that I try to read every day because it is worth it, if you like intelligent, witty observations about life then this is the blog for you. Katie is awesome even though she lives in Chicago, which is known for…………wind.
The Camel Life
This is a relatively new blog on my must-read list but Breezy K who writes this blog has won me over recently by writing on a regular basis and talking about her “dynamic” life in Canada. She writes with a lot of funny images, but deep down her topics are interesting and even though she is from Nova Scotia, I think that it is very close to my experience in living in Maine. She is funny, insightful and definitely doesn’t take herself very seriously. The reason I feel this is a must read blog, is that it just entertains me. From the “witty” way she plays on words, to the perspective of diet and exercise. I always learn something and most often laugh as well.
Tranquil Dreams
This is kind of unfair because Kim who writes this blog is one of my favorite people. She visited Maine this summer and I met her and her boyfriend and we had a lovely time. Her blog is a combination of reviews, recipes, and thoughts but what wins me over is that Kim has always been so nice and supportive of me. She leaves positive and supportive comments, and I like that. This blog is well worth checking out and reading.
There are of course many other blogs and bloggers I love to read and learn from each and every day. I am certainly grateful to experience all that you do each day! Thank you for being so wonderful.
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Today I am expressing my gratitude for Growing up in Greenville, Maine. There have been few influences on my life greater than this. The foundation of who I am today was built on the streets, in the school, in my home and with the people I shared the experience with.
S
Winter is a long season in Greenville, it makes you tough and you really like spring! the Katahdin is an iconic boat that cruises Moosehead Lake, and of course an image of Mt. Kineo. All images of my youth and this wonderful place.
Small Town To Say the Least, Greenville, Maine
Greenville was and is a very small town, but it was the only town I knew as home as a child. There are two sides of the coin when you
My brother and I actually playing outside. That is what it looks like.
live in a small town. On one side people are supportive of you in all that you do. On the other side, it is difficult to live your life without having everyone know your business.
That is the fate of a small town, for me, those issues were never a factor because I loved living there and growing up with the people I grew up with. A small town gave me the foundation to think, create and write. In many ways, I have never felt as much like myself as when I was there.
Friends Forever
It is an odd thing about friendship that it often flows in and out of your life like the tides in the sea. The shared experience that you
The Indian Store, a non- PC name for a non-PC town. But a one of a kind shopping experience.
build your friendship around often determines the length of the friendship. Believe it or not, the people that I went to elementary school with in Greenville, Maine are still some of the dearest friends I have.
There was something about working our way through the growth of our youth that allowed us to bond. With very few exceptions, today when I see someone from that era, we can talk and carry on in a fashion like no time has passed. I believe this is true because we knew each other before life taught us hard lessons, and gave us difficult things to deal with. At the core of each of us is that person we were when we were young. I think I look at those friends with the eyes of understanding, that I know who they are, and they know me. There is no judgment on choices we have made, or what we have become, it is what each of us was that I remember.
When I hear from one of these people on Facebook, or should I see them in person, I am transported back to a time in the 1970’s before cell phones, computers, and video games, when we actually played outside, every day. These were my brothers and sisters and still are today. That is an experience I am extremely grateful for.
The Town Itself
If I took you on a tour of 1970’s Greenville, we would walk the mile
It was not a rare occurrence to see a moose, a bear or any other Maine wildlife. It was a small town in the middle of nowhere!
from the school to my house in the Junction, and on the way there, most every car that passed we would recognize. It seemed like I knew everyone. We would walk to Breton’s store which is still there today and buy the candy treat of our choice with the quarter I had squirreled away for just such an occasion. My parents never worried that I would be harmed or abducted. They told me to never talk to strangers and in Greenville, it was easy not to do, I knew everyone even as a kid.
If we went into the downtown area, there were a number of old haunts which still exist today at least enough to let you meet the ghost of my memories. It doesn’t matter if I went to Jamison’s Store or to Harris Drug Store, I always seemed to get what I was looking for. I was always with a friend or my brother and we were always on the go, heading to a pickup game of some sort.
Moving, The End of That Life
As I was finishing the 7th grade, I found out my family was moving. I didn’t tell anyone because I think I felt if I just ignored it then the move would never take place. I did not want to move. I loved my friends and my life there. After moving I picked up the pieces of my shattered reality and moved forward, but in my heart, I will always carry that place, the people, and our experiences there in Greenville, Maine. I am grateful for them all!
There is something about the 31st of October that is embedded in my soul. It probably has to do with the nights spent in my youth participating in organized begging for candy and taking in pillowcases full of candy. It is the whole fall season that brings on a feeling of melancholy and joy all at once. It is a time to remember the happy times of Halloweens past, the joy of youthful adventure and the thrill of being scared, if only just a little bit. So for today, I am going to focus on the joy of this day in music.
Sugar, Sugar by the Archies– Watching this video transports me back to being about 8 years old and all I wanted was candy for Halloween because of course, I loved getting the sugary treats. In Greenville, trick or treating was a great experience. I know my Dad would pile us and our friends like Mike Martin into the car drive to a certain street, let us go and do our thing. Thanks to the generous people in my town was a very lucrative experience in the candy department. We were never disappointed with the haul of sugary treats. It was a night of magic for a kid who loved candy and the memories of it still make me smile today.
No More Mr. Nice Guy by Alice Cooper– As we got a little bit older, Mike Martin and I would cook up some mischief to participate on Halloween. We had been taught well by older kids on what to do. I had seen the messy carnage of November 1st with its smashed pumpkins in the road all over town. We were feeling like it was our turn. So after trick or treating one year we decided to smash as many pumpkins as we could find. It was the most illegal thing I had ever done, but I liked to smash things. How high can you throw a pumpkin and totally destroy it? What if we threw it from the roof? What if we put it on a train track and let a train hit it? All of these questions were answered that night.
Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon– One of my passions as a kid was about monsters. There was something scary and interesting about the stories of Frankenstein, Dracula, werewolves, mummies, and creatures from black lagoons. I remember reading books about them and the makeup it took to make actors look like that. It was all brought to a head on Halloween Night. Costumes are a great thing because they allow a person to become something else, if only for a short time. This type of escape is good for “kids” of all ages as they seek to be released from their everyday existence. This song is for the costumes we all wear, at Halloween and throughout the year.
Leaves That are Green Simon and Garfunkel– One of the naturally amazing things that we get to enjoy in Maine is the changing of the leaves in the fall. Changing leaves and Halloween go together as we all know. You pile them up and jump in them like Charlie Brown. You also use them to create the meat of a scarecrow. There is a smell of the small that pictures of foliage can’t bring you. That smell and the feel of the crisp autumn air bring back memories of my life and all that is gone before. I have been blessed in my existence to have lived in so many wonderful fall days.
Season of the Witch by Donovan– One of the iconic images from Halloween is that of the witch. Much like the Wizard of Oz, you have to be careful when dealing with witches, are they good? or are they bad? I have learned that sometimes the witches you meet on Halloween are not exactly what they appear to be. Some seem kind in the beginning, but in the end are not looking out for your best interest. Some which seem less nice in the beginning, show that they are truly good witches in the end. So my experience is that on Halloween, be wary of the witches that you meet promising candy and sunshine. Judge all your witches by their actions, not their words. Actions show the true nature of a witch.
Happy Halloween!!!!!
Dr. Hook by Mike Martin
My last #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth post on my spiritual adviser’s blog. Jon Hilton is a wise man, a little naïve, but a wise man none the less.
When we were discussing this challenge, I selected the band that was on the radio first and I picked my day 31 choice second.
Thank you, Sean Bolen, for the introduction, you are off the “hook” because today I’m power challenged.
Dr. Hook is an American rock band, formed in Union City, New Jersey. They enjoyed considerable commercial success in the 1970s with hit singles including:
When you’re in love with a beautiful woman, it’s hard
AND, one of the best October 31st songs ever recorded. Happy Halloween Folks!!!
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show – At the freaker’s ball 1974
Please, have a great day, and if you have any questions, drop us a line and please partake in #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth and while you are at it take a trip to Greenville, Maine-I understand the foliage is majestic this time of year! #visitGreenville
#OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth #visitGreenville
Day 11 of my special gratitude project has me thinking of music. Music plays such a big part in most peoples lives, it is no different to me. The music sets the mood and can latch on to a memory and allow you to be transported to a particular place and time simply by hearing the notes. I almost always put a song at the end of every post, not because they need it, but it makes it better to read if you listen to the song as you read. Try it.
My favorite songs change each and every week depending on the randomness of what is happening in life. Since I am feeling particularly grateful for music I will give you my top ten songs of the week. They are random and not specific to genre. A song can be number 1 one week and gone from the countdown the next. Enjoy!! Be grateful.
(Click the title to SEE THE VIDEO)
Wake Me Up- Avici-This song just hits me right in the heart. The message of looking for yourself, resonates. Give it a listen and you will feel better!! Go ahead. Click it baby!
Chillin’ It- Cole Swindell- Any song that reminds me of my young self I can’t get enough of. I am a country boy, I was raised in Maine, I had no choice. This song reminds me of those those days a long time ago, spending time with that special someone, rollin’ with the music.
A Message- Cold Play- This song caught my mind this week and hasn’t let go. I think we are all continually sending messages. Some overtly like blog writing, and many more subtle ones. I think we all want our message to be received and understood. Get the message? My song is love, is love unknown and I’ve got to get that message home!
Radio- Darius Rucker- Not only am I a huge Darius fan, and have been for many years, this song, is one that again takes me back to my youth. Really all we needed was a car with a radio to make us feel really cool. It is great to feel cool. Even when you know you are not. Go ahead go riding down that highway.
Ships In The Night- Matt Kierney– Aren’t we all just ships in the night, that pass without knowing anything about each other. It is a waste of time to not connect, especially with someone you could be great friends with. Don’t be a ship in the night. Good song.
Over You – Daughtry- This is an older song that I have been able to relate to lately. I never saw it coming, should have started running a long, long time ago, and I never thought I’d doubt you or be better off without you, more than you, more than you, more than you know!! Give it a listen if you are trying to forget someone. It helps.
Mine Would Be You- Blake Shelton-Because we all have, guilty pleasures, and those that know us better than anyone else, and we don’t often say it when we have the chance. My finest hour, my wildest dream come true, mine would be you!
8. Here I Stand- Sonny Rey– I heard this song on an episode of touch, which is about how we are all connected. I believe that for better or worse this is true and this song captures the essence of my feelings. Here I am, I am just a man, here I stand. I’m doing everything I can to show the world who I am. Here I stand.
A Drop in the Ocean- Ron Pope- You never know why a song attaches to your mind, but this one grabbed mine probably because………it’s a drop in the ocean, a change in the weather. I was hopin’ that you and I would end up together!! Whatever the reason, have a listen and be careful it will get in your head.
Sweet Annie- Zac Browne Band- This is a beautiful song, that makes you want to know someone named Annie. But haven’t we all known someone who makes us feel like this? Here’s to all the sweet, pretty, kind, beautiful women I have ever met.
There it is, take a listen and I hope you are as grateful for the music in your life as I am.
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One of the lessons I have learned in life is that the people that you grew up with have some of the biggest impacts on your life experience. That can be said for the life and music of Micheal Jackson. We watched him grow up from his beginnings in the Jackson 5 to becoming an iconic megastar of the 1980’s. His talent is undeniable and his songs have punctuated many lives. In fact, the release of the thriller video on December 2, 1983 was an event. It happened and now generations are blessed with the Thriller Dance. His music is full of memories and people from the past. Even if you didn’t really like his music you still know the songs. They are woven into the fabric of our society.
Never Can Say Goodbye– The Jackson Five was a part of my childhood. That childhood ended the day I moved from Greenville, Maine on June 15,
Little Micheal during the Jackson Five days
1979. this song reminds me of that time and what a hard time I had with the transition to a new town, school, and life. It was ultimately a good experience but at the time one of the most difficult experiences I faced. Leaving behind all of the people that I knew was tough. Life went on and I met plenty of wonderful people and had great experiences. This song always reminds me of that time and those thoughts. Even though the pain and heartache. Seem to follow me wherever I go. Though I try and try to hide my feelings. They always seem to show, Then you try to say you’re leaving me, And I always have to say no. Tell me why is it so?
Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough– To this day when I need a boost in my cardio workout, this song by Micheal Jackson puts some movement in my
MJ and Eddie Murphy
body. It is a reminder of those awkward junior high days. When half of you thought you were cool and the other half knew how lost you were. We never knew how much we didn’t know, and through a process of trial and error we kind of figured it out. It was a long and intense struggle to win the affections of the fairer sex. All else was secondary to that. Junior high dances were the places much of this took place. Touch me and I feel on fire. Ain’t nothing like a love desire. I’m melting I’m melting like hot candle wax. Sensation ah sensation, lovely where we’re at ooh So let love. take us through the hours, I won’t be complaining aw Cause this is love power.
Billie Jean– This is the song that introduced the moonwalk to rural America. I could never do that, but it wasn’t a real priority for me. Billie Jean was also one of the videos on MTV that I remember being played all the time and since it was played all the time was always present. In the culture of the early 80’s, what was being played on MTV influenced us in the things we thought were cool, the behavior that was acceptable, really in every way. It is hard to imagine today what an icon Micheal Jackson had become but he was probably the biggest star of the era. She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene. Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one. Who will dance on the floor in the round.
Thriller– As I mentioned before this video was a cultural happening in the lives of everyone alive in 1983. From the warning at the beginning that Micheal Jackson does not support or believe in the occult to the “Thriller Dance”, it was a video with a story. A silly story, but one just the same. It makes me laugh still today watching it. When MJ turns into a werewolf and then a zombie, it is a busy night for him. If you have 13 spare minutes, give it a watch, it is very appropriate for the day before Halloween. Vincent Price’s lines have become iconic in and of themselves. A cultural phenomenon for sure and any child of the 80’s knows it to be true. Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood. To terrorize y’all’s neighborhood And whosoever shall be found. Without the soul for getting down. Must stand and face the hounds of hell. And rot inside a corpse’s shell.
Man in the Mirror– Change is a constant factor in life. It is an inevitable force that occurs constantly. People spend their lives in denial of this,
His appearance changed over the years but the music remained the same
because change can be scary. Since it is going to happen anyway, you had better learn how to deal with it. This song urges you to start by making positive changes within yourself and to make the world a better place from the changes that you undergo. Our attitudes of the judgment of others and constantly putting people into simple groups of “us” and “them” causes hate, prejudice, and conflict across the globe. Look at yourself and the thoughts that you entertain every day in an honest way and see what kind of changes you can make for the positive. I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. And no message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place, (If you wanna make the world a better place). Take a look at yourself, and then make a change.
Van Halen by Mike Martin
There is no argument-Eddie Van Halen can play the guitar.
I bought my first stereo in 1981 from a local Greenville, Maine pilot who was downsizing. It had a turntable, two cassette players, and a radio. The sound it produced was life-changing.
The first cassette that I listened to the stereo play was Van Halen, a debut studio album from Van Halen, an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972.
From 1974 until 1985, the band consisted of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, vocalist David Lee Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony. The band is one of the most successful rock acts of all time.
The song that I most identified with, as a fifteen old Northern Maine boy with an Ego bigger the Mount Katahdin, was Runnin’ With the Devil
Yeah, yeah, ah, yeah I live my life like there’s no tomorrow
And all I’ve got, I had to steal
Least I don’t need to beg or borrow
Yes I’m livin’ at a pace that kills
Ooh, yeah
(Ahh)
Runnin’ with the devil
(Ahh-hah, yeah)
(Woo-hoo-oo)
Runnin’ with the devil
Yes I’m, yeah, hoo
I graduated from high school in 1984. Van Halen produced a popular studio Album in 1984, called 1984. It was their most successful album.
The signature was Jump Van Halen’s most successful single.
I get up, and nothing gets me down.
You got it tough. I’ve seen the toughest all around.
And I know, baby, just how you feel.
You’ve got to roll with the punches to get to what’s real
Oh wow, man
Wait a second man Whaddaya think the teacher’s gonna look like this year? (my butt, man)
Oh yeah T-T-Teacher stop that screaming, teacher don’t you see?
Don’t want to be no uptown fool
Maybe I should go to hell, but I’m doin’ well,
Teacher needs to see me after school
In 1986, I spent a majority of my life at sea on the USS Jouett. The Jolly J was preparing for a West Pac cruise and we expended most of our time going through sea trials, inspections and eventually sailing around the
What Mike Martin looked like with his first walkman
Pacific.
I bought a “Walkman” (a music listening device that will always remind me of Joel Wortman) to help me escape while serving aboard the Jolly J. The first cassette I bought was Van Halen’s OU812, released in 1986.
Van Halen and Diamond Dave had broken up. Eddie met Valerie Bertinelli, hired Sammy Hagar, and Van Halen started producing love songs. I didn’t like Van Halen’s new sound a first, but it was the only cassette that I had so I eventually learned to appreciate the strange new Van Halen songs.
Hey only fools rush in and only time will tell
If we stand the test of time (FYI-they didn’t)
Please, have a great day, and if you have any questions, drop us a line and please partake in #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth and while you are at it take a trip to Greenville, Maine-I understand the foliage is majestic this time of year! #visitGreenville
As I was developing as a human being, the music of Pink Floyd entered my life. I was first influenced by the album the Dark Side of the Moon and the music was thought-provoking and resonated with my experiences in life. There wasn’t a lot of media that addressed the feelings facing the teenage mind. This music provided an explanation for the way I felt back then. The Wall was an experience that provided a visceral punch in the senses. It was so far removed from anything I had ever seen, it provided a paradigm shift in my thinking. I remember watching this movie in Brunswick, Maine and I remember the people I watched it with. D.H., E.C., and G.N.
Comfortably Numb– Suffering is a part of life. As young people, we aren’t quite sure of this. I think I was hoping the world would be a happy place all the time. But it isn’t and that is ok. Sometimes there is suffering to help you get to the next level of whatever you are experiencing in life. Sometimes the pain of suffering is too much for all people and we need to feel comfortably numb. Life ads experience and value is added by the hard times we face. Those are the valuable lessons of life. They are not learned in books but through experience and thoughtful reflection. Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone at home Come on now. I hear you’re feeling down. Well, I can ease your pain. Get you on your feet again.
Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)– There is no more ironic song to the story of my life. This is about the brainwashing that takes place in western culture. Our system is designed to produce producers and consumers, not thinkers and creators. I was listening to this while being brainwashed in that system. And I didn’t have any idea. A young mind is impressionable and moves in a thousand directions. It is easily influenced and manipulated. The problem has and will arise as the obvious reality of the world doesn’t match the story we are/were taught. Beliefs change, personally and as a society. Accept the change. We don’t need no education . We don’t need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teachers leave them kids alone. Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone. All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall. All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall.
Money– Iconic song which talks about greed which we all deal with to some degree. Our society labels us by how much money we make. In fact, when you meet someone, one of the first questions you ask is, what do you do for work? It allows them to be put into a box that you can understand and relate to. Yet, I would argue that has very little to do with who a person really is. There are very rich people who are terrible people and very poor people who possess the highest moral character. How much money you have has a lot to do with your beliefs surrounding it. You can have all the money in the world and it doesn’t guarantee you a thing. Money, it’s a crime. Share it fairly but don’t take a slice of my pie Money, so they say. Is the root of all evil today. But if you ask for a rise It’s no surprise that they’re giving none away.
Time – Where does it go? Time is a concept that humans have created to mark our activities. It allows us to organize and for some determines the compensation for work performed. In reality, we are only going to have so long in this experience of life. As you age, the uncomfortable truth that it is going to end becomes more and more of a reality. This physical body will give out and the ride will be over. We hope we will have freedom and stability of thought until the end. But that is not the case for thousands of people. Either their bodies or their minds give out before the end. Making the most of the time that we have should be the highest priority in life. Enjoy every second you have. Don’t waste your time bitching and complaining. The ride is going to end, why dislike the experience so much. Focus on the good that is present in every moment, because it could be gone before you know it. And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking. Racing around to come up behind you again. The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older. Shorter of breath and one day closer to death Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time. Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines. Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way. The time is gone, the song is over. Thought I’d something more to say.
Wish You Were Here– A sentiment that everyone can relate to. No matter where you are in life there are people that you wish were around you more and sharing experiences with. From all of our past histories and stories, there are characters we miss, for all the elements they provided to our stories. Some moments were extremely happy, some were sad, but the shared experience is the thing that binds people. It provides the meaning of everything. Life brings people into your life and whisks them away as well. All provide a lesson and a spice to your life. I have been blessed in life to have experienced a lot of spice. And to all the people who provided them over the years, I wish you were here. We’re just two lost souls Swimming in a fish bowl. Year after year. Running over the same old ground. And how we found. The same old fears, Wish you were here.
Spin Doctors by Mike Martin
October 29, 2017- Nostalgic Music Month: Spin DoctorsMy brother Kevin Canders told me that I had hit the “bottom of the barrel” when announced to the family that I had decided to take a job selling vacuums. He was wrong.
This is an abbreviate post. It’s Sunday, and thanks to an emergency brake job, a skylight repair, two hockey practices, and a Halloween skating party. I have all of 15 minutes to write this, I could use an entire day.
My most productive period as a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman was from the spring to the fall of 1993. I was a “Van Master” working for Dan Wallace (DW)-a Kirby Vacuum Company legend. We had spent the spring recruiting college kids, out of work construction workers, and one trust fund baby.
Frank Brophy was smart and could answer just every Jeopardy question correctly. Dependency issue got the best of him, and by the time I had met him 1992, he was a shell of his former self. He didn’t have a driver’s license and starting selling Kirby’s with help from the Bangor, Maine public transit.
I think Frank worked for six months before he sold first Kirby, but by the fall of 1993, he was a door knocking machine and a staple on my Kirby sales van. Although several people accompanied Frank and me on our van, Josh Enman and Shawn Towne (after we drove to Milo, got Shawn out of bed, and force him to sell a Kirby to his neighbor on his very first demonstration) were the core of our sales crew.
We sold several Kirby’s daily on the days that worked, but we also never passed up the chance to (Blank) Off as DW would say. One of those days when we decide that there were better things to do, we took the Kirby van to a Spin Doctors concert in Portland. Maine. I must say, it was well worth missing out on the money that I would have made otherwise.
The Spin Doctors are a rock band from the USA that was formed in New York City. They are best known for two hit songs.
Spin Doctors – Two Princes – YouTube
This one, got a princely racket
That’s what I said, now
Got some big seal upon his jacket
Ain’t in his head, now
You marry him, your father will condone you
How ’bout that, now
You marry me, your father will disown you
He’ll eat his hat, now
Marry him or marry me
I’m the one that loves you baby can’t you see?
I ain’t got no future or a family tree
But I know what a prince and lover ought to be
I know what a prince and lover ought to be
Spin Doctors – Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong – YouTube
Little miss, little miss little miss can’t be wrong
Ain’t no body gonna bow no more when you sound your gong
Little miss, little miss little miss can’t be wrong
Whatcha go’n do to get into another one of these here
Rock ‘n’ roll songs
Please, have a great day, and if you have any questions, drop us a line and please partake in #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth and while you are at it take a trip to Greenville, Maine-I understand the foliage is majestic this time of year! #visitGreenville
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