Sunday, November 20, 2011

Three Lives, Three Loves

Three lives, three loves.

A ballroom dancer, a walker, and a fencer.

Three lives, three loves.

In 1975, I was with the love of my life and this was one of the songs that I associate with her:


Do You Know Where You Are Going To? Diana Ross
She passed away, a few years ago, way too soon. She spent most of her life spent in education, becoming a physician, but I remember her first love, ballroom dancing.

They say men are the sentimental ones, growing more sentimental with age. Women are the pragmatic ones, growing even more so with age.

Do you know, do you know where you are going to? In 1975, I most definitely did not. Now, 35+ years later, I'm still not sure.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Back on Boogie Street -- No One Has Told Me Yet What Boogie Street Is For

Some years ago, not really all that long ago, I spent some time in Yorkshire, England. I was treated to some wonderful home-cooked meals while deployed with the US Air Force to a remote station.

I always helped clean up after dinner, and enjoyed washing the dishes. Once the dishes were done, I had to leave quickly ....

Whenever I hear this song, I am reminded of those wonderful, halcyon days in Yorkshire ...


Boogie Street, Leonard Cohen

O, Crown of Light, O Darkened One,

I never thought we'd meet.
You kiss my lips,
And then you're gone:
I'm back on boogie street.

A sip of wine,
A cigarette,
And then it's time to go.
I tidied up the kitchenette,
And tuned the old banjo.
I'm wanted back at the traffic jam:
They're saving me a seat.

I'm what I am
And what I am
Is back on boogie street

And, oh my love, I still recall
The pleasures that we knew;
The rivers and the waterfalls --
Wherein I bathed with you.
Bewildered by your beauty then,
I kneeled to dry your feet ...
Was it all a dream?

Friday, November 4, 2011

Music and Memories

It's absolutely incredible how music affects my emotions, stirs memories.

Tonight, for no reason other than it popped up randomly, I was listening to Diana Ross, "Do You Know Where You're Going?" Wow, I found myself transported to the wild highway 110 from downtown Los Angeles driving up to Highland Park, and then up to South Pasadena. I had not expected that. I experienced momentarily an out-of-body experience, feeling myself floating through the turns of that very old highway, and the taking the very short exits to get home. As I write, and listen, the memories get stronger and stronger. "Touch Me In the Morning" by Diana Ross prolongs the feeling.


The Diana Ross videos are here.

It's bittersweet how life turns out. Friday night. Alone.