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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Musing on a Saturday Morning

I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound ~ Chad Mitchell Trio


Alex awakened me late this morning. He had already breakfasted and just wanted me to open the back door so he could go outside and harass the woofie doggie who lives next door. I am feeling physically weak, so I’ve not done much since arising—mostly I have been ruminating over things.


The Presidential Debate


With a multitude of others I watched the presidential debate last night. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. Both McCain and Obama seemed to be politicking against the Bush Administration. McCain really looked presidential but his words seemed to be an over-long litany of what he has accomplished as a “maverick.” Obama almost seemed to be a characture of himself. I don’t know why I got that feeling, but I did.


The Kennedys


I was a bit distracted last night by the news that Senator Ted Kennedy had been taken to hospital after having a seizure Friday. Word is that the seizure was probably caused by a change of medication and Kennedy has now been discharged.


This morning I have been thinking about the Kennedy family and the state of the United States and the world today. I’ll admit it was a bit of day dreaming, but I pictured in my mind a much different and better world had John Kennedy not been assassinated in 1963 and Robert Kennedy assassinated in 1968.


1968


Perhaps because of my last Coffeehouse focusing on 1967’s Summer of Love, my mind wanders to the horrific events of 1968: the DNC in Chicago, the Tet Offensive, the murder of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and, two months later, the murder of Senator Robert Kennedy. It seemed that everything had changed: the ache of that year had, for me, announced that 1967's carnival of love was over. And I don't believe that we have ever recaptured it.



17 comments:

  1. Nick I find myselve wondering the same things, what if Both Kennedys had not been killed what if Dr.King had not been killed what kind of world would it be today. the debate was a joke.

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  2. I don't mean to be disrespectful to your blog. I'm here to give you a warning, and that's it. I realized, just recently, that your blog might get hit on next.

    There are people who are currently writing blogs, and linking to other blogs, for the sole purpose of hacking into people's computers and cell phones.

    They download false certificates through microsoft and install trojans on people's computers.

    Once these individual's have gained access to all of a person's personal information, their main goal is to destroy other people. They like to play God and preach love while lieing to people with a smile on their face.

    Realistically though, nobody has the right to judge others, for their sins, except God.

    They not only know how to tap phone lines to acquire information about others- they also use subliminal messages to carry out their dirty works.

    Consider yourself warned. That's all. Sorry for intruding on your blog.

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  3. The 60's were very significant in lots of ways Nick weren't they? So many changes and not all for the better.

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  4. Nick,
    This is a perfect song to lament the end of an era, the end of a time when people shared a hopefulness for the future.

    Thanks for this favorite Seeker song of mine.

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  5. You sure have been ruminating friend. I hope you are feeling better soon.

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  6. As sort of an explanation of this morning’s post, yesterday I went for my first medical appointment that I have with a non-VA physician in several years. It was a good experience, but it wore me out. So I have been napping a lot and, this morning, after rising quite late, spent more time in musing than in anything else. You received the outcome of my, un, thunkin’.



    Mike Golch: Throughout the years I have preached many sermons in which the line what if has been an integral part. Of course, those what ifs looked to the future, not considering what the present would be if events had been different.

    That my musings this morning lead me into what if 1968 had been different is, to me, telling of my emotional state, which is that I feel drained.

    Shelly Rayedeane: Thank you for the warning. I supposed that I must depend upon all of the protections I have installed on my computer to protect me from such maliciousness.

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  7. Akelamalu: I agree! Back then—in the 60s—I heard people say that what was happening in the world had never happened before. Even though I was a history buff, I didn’t realize how very true that statement was, probably because I was living in the midst of those years.

    Kat: You are right! This post is a lament! I had not thought of it as such. I so wish that folks again could/would share a hopefulness for the future!

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  8. Crazy Cath: Thank you! I have been ruminating almost as much as I used to when I had to write a sermon!

    Carol: Thank you! I am feeling a bit better this evening (after spending the day taking three very long naps!

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  9. Nick, I have missed reading your blog since I have been without a computer! I have quite a bunch of catchup reading to do.

    I understand your ruminating! I have been doing a bit myself. Do you remember the song Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream? The lyrics say a lot about us so long ago, my old friend:

    While ridin' on a train goin' west
    I fell asleep for to take my rest.
    I dreamed a dream that made me sad
    Concernin' myself an' the first few friends i had.

    With half damp eyes i stared to the room
    Where my friends an' i spent many an afternoon.
    Where we together weathered many a storm
    Laughin' an' singin' till the early hours of the morn.

    By the old wooden stove where our hats was hung
    Our words was told, our songs was sung
    Where we longed for nothin' an' were satisfied
    Jokin' an' talkin' about the world outside.

    With hungry hearts thru the heat an' cold
    We never much thought we could get very old
    We thought we could sit forever in fun
    An' our chances really was a million to one.

    As easy it was to tell black from white
    It was all that easy to tell wrong from right
    An' our choices they was few so the thoughts never hit
    That the one road we travelled would ever shatter or split.

    How many a year has passed an' gone
    Many a gamble has been lost an' won
    An' many a road taken by many a first friend
    An' each one i've never seen again.

    I wish, i wish, i wish in vain
    That we could sit simply in that room again
    Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat
    I'd give it all gladly if our lives could be like that.

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  10. I understand your selection of the Seekers' song. Is there something important that you can share about "I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound"?

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  11. I've often wondered what the world would be like now if the Kennedys had been able to continue on. Tragic loss to us all. And no, Nick, we've never ever recaptured those days. They were but a fleeting moment in time that we thought would last forever.

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  12. I hope you start to feel stronger again. Jessica loves to torment the dogs here too, it must a naughty cat thing!

    CJ xx

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  13. neither gives me anything concrete., and haven't for a year..sk

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  14. Angus: I’m so glad you’re back online. Yes, I remember Bob Dylan’s Dream very well. And I remember playing and singing back when I really did not understand the meaning of the words. Now I understand them much too well.

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  15. Jean Marc: I suppose I have been a wandering most of my life. I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound and another song, One More Town, rather reflect my wandering ways. I wish I were still wandering!

    Puss-in-Boots: I so agree. On the first anniversary of John Kennedy’s assassination, a student artist did a cartoon for the editorial page of the University of Kentucky’s student newspaper. It showed John Kennedy on a huge while horse with the Presidential Seal on a shield that he was holding. The caption below the cartoon read For one brief, shining moment there was a Camelot. I cried when I saw it.

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  16. Crystal Jigsaw : Thank you. I am getting my strength back; however, my sleeping schedule is really messed up! I took a 6 hour “nap” this afternoon from 4:00 to 10:00!

    Yes, I agree: tormenting dogs must be a naughty cat thing ! About half an hour ago Alex asked me to open the door to the deck. When I did I noticed that the woofie doggie next door is again outside. At the moment Alex is outside messing with the woofie’s mind.


    I beati: True. Although I found less inspiring and hopeful about the debate that anything else Obama has said or done.

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