|
|
|
Be a Good Role Model
Be a Good Role Model. “Do as I say, not as I do” is a common joke among parents, but during the separation period, your children need a strong leader. You know you must lead by example. You can’t tell your kids to do one thing and then do another,...
Developing Your Child's Self Discipline
Self-discipline is the ability to set a realistic goal or make a plan--then stick with it. It is the ability to resist doing things that can hurt others or ourselves. It involves keeping promises and following through on commitments. It is the...
Learn How to Bank Like a Banker
The business of banking has changed dramatically over the last decade. Because the cost of doing business the old-fashioned way is no longer effective, banks are interested in changing their customers' behavior by encouraging electronic banking...
Pet Memorial - In Remembrance of Our Special Pet Friends
Pet Memorial - In Remembrance of Our Special Pet Friends
Still remember that very moment when you first laid your eyes on your now, ever still most beloved pet? Feeling that very special bond between the both of you when you pick up that little...
Understanding Your Introverted Teen
For most of my life, I've felt hopelessly weird,” said Heather, an introvert in her early thirties. “Like I don't really fit in. I've learned how to fool some of the people some of the time - there are those who swear I can't possibly be introverted...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ray Nordstrand and Cindy Sheehan at the 7/11
Ray Nordstrand and the Peace Mom at the 7-11
“I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired,”
Psalm 77:6
“Oh yeah. . .
That’s the Midnight Special.”
Huddie Ledbetter
Round about the time to welcome in Ray Nordstrand. . .
Bob Gibson and Steve Goodman, both with beaming smiles, their big guitars ringing out like heaven’s golden trumpets, and a very large crowd of old Chicagoans begin to sing in just the same way Norm and Ray would welcome in each year.
If we only have love
Then tomorrow will dawn
And the days of our year
Will rise on that morn
If we only have love
To embrace without fears
We will kiss with our eyes
We will sleep without tears
Somebody in the crowd tosses out a line about the Gates of Heaven looking a lot like the Gate of Horn. Fred Holstein, strolling up to the stage, says , “I believe the punch line would be ‘one has a much higher cover charge’ but the set up to the joke needs work.”
A gentle laugh rolls across the room as Holstein brings the whole crowd right into the song
Well, you wake up in the morning
You hear the work bell ring
And the march you to the table
You see the same damn thing
Huddie Ledbetter himself stands up and the crowd is now way beyond that group of old Chicagoans. Because in welcoming Ray, it’s a crowd of everyone whoever heard the music played on radio station WFMT. A crowd the stretches world wide. Streaming world wide now. It might just be a crowd too big to count.
Too big to count till Ray gets here.
So the crowd just sings of that long gone lonely Texas train. Sings right along with Leadbelly;
Let the Midnight Special, shine a light on me
Oh let the Midnight Special,
Shine a ever lovin light on me.
And as the crowd becomes one voice blessed by countless tones and rainbow colors of diversity---a voice that sounds of praising God and a diversity that welcomes all: Leadbelly changes the name of the Texas town in his song.
You can do that with folk music.
Because folk music really can be about exactly what is happening right here and now. Especially now. When we are here to sing for Ray. So Leadbelly leads the world wide chorus with:
If you ever go to Crawford
Well you better walk right
And you better not gamble
And you better not fight.
And then just when he gets to that word fight----we can also see this scene:
In the half light quiet dawn still shaking off the chill of the open Texas night, Cindy the Peace Mom, in jeans and a grey hooded sweatshirt pulled up tight around her head, pushes thru the door of the Crawford 7/11: pretty much the only store in town.
That countless crowd that’s joined together to celebrate Ray Nordstrand goes still for a moment to watch what happens next.
A young man in a t-shirt that says “Cowboys Rule” stands smirking behind the counter. The Peace Mom walks in just as the smirk turns into a big yawn at a young and empty looking woman wearing flip flops on her feet and a diamond ring on her finger that throws off a jagged sparkle every time she hits her fist on the counter’s lottery machine. As if the woman's voice were the diamond's sparkle. The sparkle punctuates the syllables as the woman says,
“THAT’S NOT FAIR!’ It’s just not fair!
The t-shirt boy behind the counter itches his nose and says, “Lady I don’t own this place. So I am
just doin what my boss told me to do. If you want paper cups, you got to pay for them.”
“But the price you are charging me is twice what I would usually pay! You are taking advantage because you know I need those cups and there is no where else to buy them!” I got several hundred people waking up real soon. And they all will want their coffee.”
“Lady, I am just doing business here.” The boy throws up his hands in that universal gesture of “what can I do?”
So the woman the diamond says, “Maybe I just wasn’t clear. I’m with the good guys here. I’m on your side. I believe in the war. I drove all the way from Dallas. Brought my friends. I’m with you. I am here for the President. I support our troops."
“Lady, we are all here for the President,” the boy answered back. He’s the reason we’re in business. And when that other lady came here to talk to the President to ask him why he killed her boy. Why my boss saw the opportunity. And this week alone we gonna make our sales numbers for the year! Now, lady don't that make you just loveAmerica?”
"But everybody needs water. And most folks would like some coffee. And without the cups. . . .none of us real American’s can drink! People might start leaving if they can’t get their drinks. And then where would the President be? Who would stand behind him and be the ones to say that we must stay the course in the war!”
“Lady, the only think I can tell you. How’s this. You buy ALL my cups. You buy everything I got. That’s 100,000 paper cups---and I will let you have them for the regular price.
But I can’t do that, said the women now beginning to cry. We only got a few hundred here. What are we gonna do with 100,000 paper cups? I think I am just out of luck here. Maybe I just should have stayed in Dallas!”
And as she buried her face in her hands with a sobbing that she learned on the stage of her junior high, the Peace Mom stepped forward and said: “Listen. If we do this together we can buy all 100,000 of those cups.”
The diamond woman turned and looked at the Peace Mom and said, “Hey, you’re her You mean that we’d be buying cups for everyone? The cups for all of you who are against the President? All of you who want to stop the war?””
And Cindy answered back, “Honey, I’m just a Mom who lost my son. And I’ve never really had a business. Never even been that good at math.
I don’t even know where that idea came from. It's like it came right out of nowhere..
I don’t even know if I can get the money. But I just had this idea. I just had this idea.
That together maybe everyone could have a drink of water or nice cup of coffee in the morning.”
The diamond woman looked at the Peace Mom. She said, “Well, alright.”
And as the two woman shook hands in the Crawford Texas 7/11: Ray Nordstrand saw that the deal was a good one. So he spun this song for eternity to hear.
If we only have love
We can melt all the guns
And then give the new world
To our daughters and sons
Then with nothing at all
But the little we are
We’ll have conquered all time
All space, the sun, and the stars.
The deal was a good one.
So as Ray spun the song.
All eternity could hear.
Like a song for all the good people who touched up my life.
People I’m thanking my stars for tonight.
About the Author
Roger Wright can be found on the blog CHURCH FOOD CHICAGO
|
|
|
|
|
| PetSmart - Pet supplies and pet products for healthier, happier pets |
| Offering food, treats, collars, leashes, health products, shampoos, medication, toys, carriers, housing and other supplies for all pets. |
| www.petsmart.com |
|
| Pets 4 You.com - Dogs | Cats |
| A large resource for animal enthusiasts with a directory of breeders and links to sources offering pet supplies and products, and to rescues and shelters. |
| www.pets4you.com |
|
| Yahoo! Pets |
| Learn how to care for a new pet. Find information about breeds or adopt a dog. ... What questions on pets or pet nutrition do you have today? ... |
| pets.yahoo.com |
|
| Welcome to Healthypet.com! |
| Pet care resources by the American Animal Hospital Association to find a veterinarian, veterinary clinic or animal hospital for pets and provide pet care ... |
| www.healthypet.com |
|
| Dogs & Puppies - Next Day Pets |
| Directory of breeders and shelters with dogs and puppies for sale and pets for adoption. Search dogs and puppies by breed with information on 150+ dog ... |
| www.nextdaypets.com |
|
| Petfinder.com: Adopt a pet and help an animal shelter rescue a ... |
| Adopt a pet dog or cat from animal welfare organizations across the country. |
| www.petfinder.com |
|
| Welcome to Neopets! |
| A virtual pet website where visitors may adopt and care for pets, as well as play games and participate in contests, communities, and combat simulations. |
| www.neopets.com |
|
| Chicago Tribune | Pets |
| Click one of the buttons to show pets within that category. Click here to show all pets for sale. Search Tips. (e.g., Beagle, Persian) ... |
| www.legacy.com |
|
| Pet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| A pet is an animal kept for companionship and enjoyment, as opposed to ... Some horse-like animals are suitable for human companionship as pets or as work ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Pets - Pet Breeders Pet Information Pet Classifieds |
| Pets - Pet, Hobby and Show Animals Pets Online Has Puppies For Sale, Pet Products, Pet Shops. |
| www.mypets.net.au |
|
| Defra, UK - Animal health and welfare - Bringing pets to Britain |
| Travel guide and information on qualifications, requirements, and fees for bringing a pet into the UK. |
| www.defra.gov.uk |
|
| Defra, UK - Animal health and welfare - Pet Travel Scheme |
| The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) is the system that allows pet dogs, ... For travel to France, the passport also replaces the PETS 5 certificate. ... |
| www.defra.gov.uk |
|
| Indiatimes - Pets |
| /photo.cms?msid=968871. You can post him queries and problems about your pets. ... Other beautiful animals: pets, wild cats & butterflies. PET ZODIACS ... |
| pets.indiatimes.com |
|
| AVMA Care for Pets Home Page |
| Articles that tell how to select a pet, how to care for various types of pets, and how to cope with the death of a pet. Includes a section just for kids. |
| www.avma.org |
|
| Dog and Pet T-Shirts and Gifts at CafePress.com : Shop Over 35 ... |
| Pet Gifts. Pet Gifts. Pet owners unite with fun t-shirts, hats and more. See all results... Categories within Pet Gifts ... |
| www.cafepress.com |
|
| Pet Lover Gifts : Find & Buy Gifts at CafePress.com |
| Shop millions of unique and custom pet designs - such as dog, cat, bunny, horse and other animals - available on t-shirts, mugs, mousepads, posters, ... |
| www.cafepress.com |
|
| PETS 911 pet adoptions thru local animal shelters |
| Offers hotline for lost and found pets, adoption, veterinarians, and animal shelters. |
| www.pets911.com |
|
| Pets |
| Most of us think of adopting pets for all the wrong reasons.. as a ... Pets has a way of listening without judging and loving its owner unconditionally. ... |
| www.webindia123.com |
|
| Mara Pets Games - Play Free Flash Games, Dress Up Games and ... |
| Mara Pets Games is a free virtual pet site with fun flash games and character dress up games. Three new games weekly! |
| www.marapets.com |
|
| Canada's pet information center for dogs cats and humans |
| Canadian pet information centre, featuring articles, bulletin board, dog breed profiles, cat breeds, and ask the vet sections. |
| www.pets.ca |
|
|