"Do not go through time without leaving worthy evidence of your passage.”
(Pope John,Twenty-Third)
It does say “worthy evidence.”
February 15, 2012
Keep on,
Larry Adamson
Just some thoughts: "Do not go through time without leaving worthy evidence of your passage.” (Pope John,Twenty-Third) It does say “worthy evidence.” ===============================================================================================
February 15, 2012 Keep on, Larry Adamson
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Just some thoughts: Recently in a football game I saw a young man score a touchdown. After entering the end zone he then proceeded to gesture in a manor in front of the opposing teams cheering section. For which a penalty for un-sportsman like conduct was called on him and his team. His team was assessed a fifteen yard penalty on the kick-off. The opposing team then scored on the next series of plays and took the lead. As one of the announcers said, "The young man's actions just made it much easier for the opposing team to score." This has to be a coach's nightmare. I personally believe that television and yes the Internet, print media and most recently social network works like Facebook, YouTube, and even Twitter are having a serious negative effect on many areas of life. Yes, even a college football game or sports in general. "Hey look here, I did something special, I scored a touchdown and now I will do a little dance, gesture,etc. In turn this will get me more exposure. People will talk about me, they will know who I am." The former coach of the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins, Vince Lombardi used to tell his players, "When you score a touchdown, hand the ball to the official and act like you have been there before, act like it was what was expected of you. Cause it is." I have come the conclusion that so much of social media is now making the "average" famous. Facebook, Youtube especially has the power to make average people, appear as something they really are not. Too often they make average people doing average things, "famous." I am not saying scoring a touchdown is always easy, but it's what is expected if you go out to play a game of football. One should not be given the celebrity status that many are now being given just because they can score a touchdown, or put a ball in a round cylinder, or hit a little white ball out of a park. The "average" is now being made "famous" but not for the right reasons. Once upon a time fame was primarily an honor earned, something heroic was done or performed. I think our society is becoming more image conscious and less quality conscious. Sadly standards and measures of what is or should be respected has changed. Success is void of real substance. Maybe to paraphrase Lombardi's words, "Hey fella what's the big deal with you, this is what was expected of you." ================================================================================================ September 17, 2017 Keep on, Larry Adamson Just some thoughts: " A little bitty tear let me down, spoiled my act as a clown. I had it made up not to wear a frown, but a little bitty tear let me down" Recently I was in southern Illinois when I saw a sign that said Newton. I had to smile as I had been playing some music on my car cd player by probably the most famous person to be buried at Big Mound Cemetery which is very near Newton, Illinois. That person would be the legendary folk singer, actor Burl Ives. Ives was born near Newton and died April 14, 1995. Ives attended what now is Eastern Illinois University for a short while but dropped out of college in the 1930s' to wander the country and play his music. In 1940 he had a popular radio show,The Wayfaring Stranger, on WBOW radio in my home town of Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1958 he won an Oscar for his role as Big Daddy in one of my favorite movies "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof." The movie also featured Paul Newman (Brick) and rather young a very attractive (Maggie) Elizabeth Taylor. Wow- what a couple they were and they also played. The movie involves a troubled wealthy family who live on a large country estate in Mississippi. Ives plays the old intimidating patriarch of the family. Brick (Newman) one of his two sons is an aging football legend who struggles with alcohol and is married to Maggie (Taylor). They are childless and have a turbulent marriage. Big Daddy learns that he does not have long to live and there is a scene in the movie where they have a heated exchange where Big Daddy describes to Brick the tension that exist between one being very wealthy and the real significance of life. "The human animal is a beast that must eventually die, and if he has money, he buys and buys and he hopes one of the things he buys is life everlasting." To quote Big Daddy. What Big Daddy is really saying is his life is coming to an end and he wants to have had some significance. One of the things he wanted was grandkids. He did not want to be forgotten as reflected in a closing line he says to his son: "I want a part of me to keep on living. I won't have my life end in the grave." As I drove on making my way to Lawrenceville and eventually Olney I recalled that line from the movie. "I don't want my life to end at the grave." "I said I'd laugh when you left me, pull a funny as you went out the door" But a little bitty tear let me down" Who among us does not hope that our lives, our influence will live on after we are gone? ================================================================================================ September 16, 2017 Keep on, Larry Adamson With the recent passing of Don Williams I share this story with you..../ something I wrote in 2014 from an experience at a Don Williams concert...LA
======================================================================================== Just some thoughts: Early this A. M. I pulled out of my drive headed to my coffee place. It is such a routine I think my old Vette might find its way there by itself. I put the top down and slipped on a Don Williams cassette. Yes, cassette. If you don't know who Don Williams is, well he is a very successful as of now semi-retired country music singer. The first song to come on was a favorite of mine and favorite for more than one reason. I love the song, the thoughts but it also brings back a memory for me. A few years back Williams was doing a concert at Lipscomb University here in Nashville. My wife and I went. The old rock-n'-roll group the Platters opened the show. Then prior to Williams Keith Urban performed and spoke of his love of Williams and his music. It was a great show. Following William's performance there was a "Meet and greet." A meet and greet is where generally if you purchased a certain ticket ($$) a few minutes after the performer comes off stage you will then be invited backstage to meet the artist. Generally a line is formed and folks make their way to where the performer is standing or sitting. They greet you, thank you for coming and also, pictures taken, a cd signed, etc. On this particular evening as I was standing backstage in such a line I noticed these ladies. I would judge two of them to have been in their mid-thirties along with a lady about my age, in line a few feet behind me. I became engaged in conversation with them. I found out it was two daughters and their mother. They had traveled to Nashville from Wyoming just for this evening and to see Williams in concert. They had never seen Williams before. I also learned that just a few weeks prior their father, the husband and father had died. Their parents favorite performer was you guessed it, Don Williams. They told me Williams music was always played in their home, car and had been played at their dads funeral. They spoke further of their parents love and appreciation for Williams. I was beginning to get the picture. Just after I left the line I pulled aside Williams "handler." That is someone they often will have with the performer to aid with this process. Quickly I shared with the handler what I learned about the two daughters and their bring their mother all the way from Wyoming and the death they all recently suffered. I stepped over to the side and watched something that for me was just a meaning as Williams singing that song. As the three of them stepped up to meet Williams I heard him say, "I understand you folks came a long way to see the show tonight and I'm sorry about the passing of your father and husband." The lady was speechless, she put her hand to her mouth and started to cry. Williams then just put his arms around her and held her for the moment. Every time I hear that song I think not only of the words but I think of what the singer of that song did for those three ladies on that night. Priceless. ================================================================================================ May 14, 2014 Keep on, Larry Adamson |
About Larry
Larry Adamson was raised in Indiana. After teaching and coaching for several years he worked as Director of Championships at the United States Golf Association in NJ. He's retired, living just outside Nashville,TN. He blogs about his favorite things: sports, music, old cars, and the good ole days. Click on the about page for more information. Archives
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