My uncle died the other day. I wasn’t very close with him, really didn’t know him at all. He was my Father’s brother in law, his sister’s husband. It wasn’t unexpected as he had been ill for quite a while.
The funeral is today. It’s very strange to wait so long because in the Jewish faith the funeral is always held the day after death, unless it’s the Sabbath, then it’s held the following day. The stated reason for the delay is to let the out of town family time to get there. It turns out that my Mother and I are the ones traveling the furthest and we’re only an hour and a half away.
I think what they’ve done here is try to make it more of a convenience for everyone instead of the opposite. I guess I can understand that but this is a family that, at one time, had at least one of their kids Bar Mitzvah at an orthodox synagogue. Seems strange to me.
Along with that is the idea that they have asked me to be a pallbearer. Of course I said yes but this too is very strange. See, in the Jewish faith there are a number of tribes. I don’t understand the whole thing but the tribe my male bloodline belongs to is called Cohanim (sp). Again, excuse my lack of thorough knowledge on the subject, but the Cohan’s are like major big guys in the faith. We are supposedly direct descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses. I have no idea how they figured that out but some of the things that go along with this is the idea that we are never allowed to be in the same room as the dead, that we are not allowed to be pall bearers and are not allowed to set foot into a cemetery. I guess it’s the walking among the dead thing. I don’t get it but it’s something you learn as a kid. I’ve been in cemeteries before but always felt a bit weird about it.
Like I said earlier, I really didn’t know him that well. When we were young we would see their family on a regular basis, they lived in Detroit and we were in the suburbs. One year David and I spent the summer with them when Mom had surgery. Even during those times I can honestly say I probably never said more than three or four words to the guy the whole summer. There were no bad feelings or any kind of fear of him or anything like that; we just never got to know each other. I knew my aunt and their three kids real well but not him.
I feel sad for my aunt; they had to have been married for well over 50 years. And my cousins, of course, have lost their father and that can never be easy.
My Dad won’t be there, he thought it more important to fly to the Virgin Islands with his girlfriend I don’t know much about what’s left of that side of the family but I’m sure they’ll be there in good numbers. I just find it strange that they would want me to be a pallbearer.
That side of the family has always felt that we were much closer with them than we are and I think that’s what’s dictating what’s happening here. I feel no need to let them know how close our side feels we are to them. It’s not that important. I’ll be there to provide whatever it is they think I can and nod at the appropriate times when we discuss how close the family is and how much we all miss each other.
So I’ll spend today with my Mother and take a few hours out of my normal football Sunday to be with people, that without today’s event, I would probably never see again. It’s one of the things you do when you are part of a family and I think, more importantly, it’s the right thing to do.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Across The Universe
I have always said that I pay way too much attention to the music I listen too. It goes without saying that music is truly the soundtrack to life. I’ve also been a Beatles fan for as long as I can remember and I’ve written on numerous occasions about what great writers I feel that Lennon and McCartney were. I think the biggest difference between these two and other songwriters is that in most cases music is defined by life, in the case of Lennon and McCartney I think life was defined by the music. In other words, what came first the chicken or the egg? In the Beatles case I think the music came first. Their music defined an entire generation.
I hope the preceding paragraph makes sense and if you’re still with me I need to tell you about a movie Maegan and I saw last night. The name of the flick is “Across The Universe” and it’s a musical about life in the 1960’s. It starts in the early part of the decade and goes through the draft, the war and social unrest that was probably the closest this country came to all out revolution since the Civil War.
It’s a typical love story, boy meets girl, boy gets separated from girl and boy reunites with girl. Basic chick flick and being the chick I usually am I liked the story. There is, however, much more to it than that. There is the music.
“Is there anybody going to listen
to my story,
all about the girl who came to stay?
She’s the kind of girl you want so much
It makes you sorry,
still you don’t regret a single day.”
From the opening scene with a guy on the beach singing the opening verse to “Girl” to the end of the movie with Bono singing “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” it’s a journey through the music of my youth and I’m sure many of yours too. The music does not go through any chronological order, instead it, more importantly, goes in the order of the story.
“I've just seen a face,
I can't forget the time or place
where we'd just met, she's just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see we've met
Na na na na na na”
One thing I’ve always admired about the music of “The Beatles” is how the songs range from the most simplistic to the most complex. The lyrics quoted above are such an obvious choice for when the main characters first meet and start to fall in love. So obvious you’d almost think it would be too easy and some other choice could have been made yet so obvious that there is no way any other choice would work as well.
The whole movie is like that. If you know your Beatles catalog then you can see where each scene is going. If you aren’t overly familiar with the library of songs then it’s a pleasant surprise when a song begins and you say to yourself, yeah, I remember that song. The real beauty of seeing the movie last night is where I saw it. I live in a college town. Michigan State University is basically what is the city. The crowd was all students whose parents probably weren’t even born when The Beatles broke up. During the first 15 or 20 minutes of the show the crowd was talking and laughing at some of the references. After about the 20 minute mark the crowd became much more attentive and really got into it. By the end of the movie many of the kids stayed after to see the credits. Listening to them as they walked out I heard nothing but raves. Maegan loved it too. I know I’ll go see it again and needless to say, I encourage all of you to do the same. No, it’s not one of the great movies of all time but I truly enjoyed it.
I hope the preceding paragraph makes sense and if you’re still with me I need to tell you about a movie Maegan and I saw last night. The name of the flick is “Across The Universe” and it’s a musical about life in the 1960’s. It starts in the early part of the decade and goes through the draft, the war and social unrest that was probably the closest this country came to all out revolution since the Civil War.
It’s a typical love story, boy meets girl, boy gets separated from girl and boy reunites with girl. Basic chick flick and being the chick I usually am I liked the story. There is, however, much more to it than that. There is the music.
“Is there anybody going to listen
to my story,
all about the girl who came to stay?
She’s the kind of girl you want so much
It makes you sorry,
still you don’t regret a single day.”
From the opening scene with a guy on the beach singing the opening verse to “Girl” to the end of the movie with Bono singing “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” it’s a journey through the music of my youth and I’m sure many of yours too. The music does not go through any chronological order, instead it, more importantly, goes in the order of the story.
“I've just seen a face,
I can't forget the time or place
where we'd just met, she's just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see we've met
Na na na na na na”
One thing I’ve always admired about the music of “The Beatles” is how the songs range from the most simplistic to the most complex. The lyrics quoted above are such an obvious choice for when the main characters first meet and start to fall in love. So obvious you’d almost think it would be too easy and some other choice could have been made yet so obvious that there is no way any other choice would work as well.
The whole movie is like that. If you know your Beatles catalog then you can see where each scene is going. If you aren’t overly familiar with the library of songs then it’s a pleasant surprise when a song begins and you say to yourself, yeah, I remember that song. The real beauty of seeing the movie last night is where I saw it. I live in a college town. Michigan State University is basically what is the city. The crowd was all students whose parents probably weren’t even born when The Beatles broke up. During the first 15 or 20 minutes of the show the crowd was talking and laughing at some of the references. After about the 20 minute mark the crowd became much more attentive and really got into it. By the end of the movie many of the kids stayed after to see the credits. Listening to them as they walked out I heard nothing but raves. Maegan loved it too. I know I’ll go see it again and needless to say, I encourage all of you to do the same. No, it’s not one of the great movies of all time but I truly enjoyed it.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Give Me A Break Already
“I’m so tired,
I haven’t slept a wink.
I’m so tired,
My mind is on the blink.”
Another perfect evening last night. I fell asleep around 11:00 with Lucky on her bed in the corner of the room. At precisely 12:03 in the morning my eyes opened and they haven’t shut since. I even took an Ambien and I was never able to fall asleep again.
I can’t tell you how frustrating this is. It’s bad enough getting three or four hours sleep a night but to be completely shut out? Absolutely ridiculous. It’s not like I’ve got a lot on my mind, hell I’m pretty much a blank slate.
Everybody always has a solution to this problem of mine. Try this, try that, etc… It’s really nice that they care but if it’s out there, I’ve tried it. I’ve done the herbal stuff and the Melatonin and it hasn’t worked. I took Ambien last night for Pete’s sake and it didn’t work. I’ve been like this forever, or at least twenty years. Actually it started when I was married, don’t know if there’s some kind of connection, hmmm!
I have one of the stronger Ambien tablets left. I guess there are two different types and one’s supposed to be stronger than the other. I have one of the strong ones and a bunch of the weaker ones. Don’t even ask where I got them; let’s just say there are a few out there trying to help.
There are many nights where I’ll take a couple of PM cold tablets trying to get some sleep and the only time I ever really get a good knock out from them is if I’m truly sick. Even after a bee stings me and I take all that Benedryl, I still end up with just a few hours of shuteye.
I’ve come to the point where I try to make sure I fight myself to stay awake in my lounge chair watching television just to make sure I save any sleep I can get to when I’m supposed to.
It’s now Saturday morning and I took the strong Ambien. I slept for about seven hours and I feel great. I almost felt like crying when I woke up and saw how long I’d slept. My health benefits kick in at the end of the month and I really have to have a serious talk with the Dr. I choose. This can’t go on like it has. I have to be able to sleep. I don’t think it’s too much to ask.
I haven’t slept a wink.
I’m so tired,
My mind is on the blink.”
Another perfect evening last night. I fell asleep around 11:00 with Lucky on her bed in the corner of the room. At precisely 12:03 in the morning my eyes opened and they haven’t shut since. I even took an Ambien and I was never able to fall asleep again.
I can’t tell you how frustrating this is. It’s bad enough getting three or four hours sleep a night but to be completely shut out? Absolutely ridiculous. It’s not like I’ve got a lot on my mind, hell I’m pretty much a blank slate.
Everybody always has a solution to this problem of mine. Try this, try that, etc… It’s really nice that they care but if it’s out there, I’ve tried it. I’ve done the herbal stuff and the Melatonin and it hasn’t worked. I took Ambien last night for Pete’s sake and it didn’t work. I’ve been like this forever, or at least twenty years. Actually it started when I was married, don’t know if there’s some kind of connection, hmmm!
I have one of the stronger Ambien tablets left. I guess there are two different types and one’s supposed to be stronger than the other. I have one of the strong ones and a bunch of the weaker ones. Don’t even ask where I got them; let’s just say there are a few out there trying to help.
There are many nights where I’ll take a couple of PM cold tablets trying to get some sleep and the only time I ever really get a good knock out from them is if I’m truly sick. Even after a bee stings me and I take all that Benedryl, I still end up with just a few hours of shuteye.
I’ve come to the point where I try to make sure I fight myself to stay awake in my lounge chair watching television just to make sure I save any sleep I can get to when I’m supposed to.
It’s now Saturday morning and I took the strong Ambien. I slept for about seven hours and I feel great. I almost felt like crying when I woke up and saw how long I’d slept. My health benefits kick in at the end of the month and I really have to have a serious talk with the Dr. I choose. This can’t go on like it has. I have to be able to sleep. I don’t think it’s too much to ask.
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