Friends

Since I almost always start a post with lyrics from a song, can't stop now. I was thinking the other day about some of the people I work with--not the folks in my office, but the folks out in the field that I correspond with, talk to on the phone, and occasionally get to visit. Over the last three years, these business partners have become my friends, real friends, the kind you can vent to and share joys and sorrow with. When my Dad died almost two years ago, my business friends shared in my sorrow. When my daughter had twins, they shared in my joys, and worries. Although they are far away, I think about them every day and appreciate how wonderful they all are. Some of them have moved into different positions, meaning that I don't have as much contact as before, but even those folks stay in touch. So to all of my wonderful friends out there, across the country, I dedicate this song to you.

Bette Midler - You've Got To Have Friends



And I am all alone
There is no one here beside me
And my problems have all gone
There is no one to deride me

But you got to have friends
The feeling's oh so strong
You go to have friends
To make that day last long
I had some friends but their gone
Someone came and took them away
And from the dusk till the dawn
Here is where I'll stay

Standing at the end of the road, boys
Waiting for my new friends to come
I don't care if I'm hungry or bored
I'm gonna get me some of them

Cause you got to have friends
La la la la la la la la la
Friends, I said you,
Oh you, yeah you, I said
You got to have some Friends
Something about friends
Just right friends
Friends, friends, friends

I had some friends oh but they're all gone, gone
Someone came and snatched them away
And from the dusk until the very dawn
You know here is where I gotta stay
Here is where I gotta stay
And I'm standing at the end of a real long road
And I'm waiting for my new friends to come
I don't care if I'm hungry or freezing cold
I'm gonna get me some of them

Cause you got to have friends
That's right friends
Friends,….I gotta see my, I gotta see my
I gotta see all of my friends, friends
Friends, friends, friends
Ohhh

What the World Needs Now

I know I date myself when I use the lyrics from an old song, "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of". Seems like it has been forever since I wrote in my blog. It served its purpose at the time, and then I didn't need it anymore. For me, it was a vent, a place to express feelings that I couldn't express with co-workers or family. Lately, at work, it has been difficult, and again, it is something that I can't discuss with co-workers-because again, they are adding to my angst. And my family gets tired of hearing the same old story, so maybe it is time to blog again.

I listened to a very interesting web seminar the other day with a speaker from MTV talking about ways to advertise to youth. It seems that the youth of today are all about creativity, and sharing their creativity with others, through their myspace pages, their web sites, sites where they can create a t-shirt and have people vote on the best shirt. The third part of the triangle was that the teens of today want validation. When they post a picture on their myspace page, they want their friends to comment on it. And, they will get mad if their friends don't get around to posting a comment when they have updated a page or site. They were talking about teens, but does that really apply to all of us?

If you wander through the blogs even on this blog site, and go next blog, next blog, etc, and see the blogs from all over the world, and from those that are trying to be creative, and from those that are trying to be validated--and many of these people are not teens, so is it that we are all looking for that validation--is it that we don't get enough of it in our day-to-day personal life that we look for it from strangers that might stop and linger on our blog?

When I first started my blog, I did try to actively recruit people to come to my blog, see my pictures, read my ramblings and comment on them. Even though I went to their sites, commented on their stories, or photos, or life learnings, not many of them reciprocated the favor and came to my site, and commented. I felt betrayed, and sad that I guess I wasn't interesting enough with my stories of far away lands, my connection to songs, my beautiful flower pictures to drum up even a small following of loyal stranded in atlanta readers. I must say that my most loyal fan was from one out west, who read my blog religiously.

There should be a standard operating procedure manual for blogs--How to win friends and influence enemies--how to get people to come to read your machinations, ooh over your latest flower, dog, or cat photo, become your friend for life.

So, in the interim, I will occasionally ramble back to my homepage, and put my feelings down on paper for no one but myself to read, and ponder why.

If you do happen to linger here, and see anything worthy of comment--whether good or bad, it will be appreciated. I need my validation, too, me
someone way past teens, we are all human, and we all need some of the same things.

"Love, sweet love", not just the kind in the song, but the pat on the back, the squeeze of the shoulder, the nod or acknowledgement that we are all in this together, and we aren't alone.

So, my salute to Jackie DeShannon and her song.
Original lyrics by Hal David,
music composed by Burt Bacharach.

"What the world needs now
is love, sweet love
it's the only thing
that there's just too little of
What the world needs now
is love, sweet love,
no not just for some
but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need
another mountain,
there are mountains
and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans
and rivers enough to cross,
enough to last
'til the end of time.

What the world needs now
is love, sweet love
it's the only thing
that there's just too little of
What the world needs now
is love, sweet love,
no, not just for some
but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need
another meadow
there are cornfields
and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams
and moonbeams enough to shine
oh listen, lord,
if you want to know.

What the world needs now
is love, sweet love
it's the only thing
that there's just too little of
What the world needs now
is love, sweet love,
no, not just for some
but for everyone.

No, not just for some,
oh, but just for everyone."

In Memory of Michael

One truth in life is that Parents shouldn't outlive their children. You can't watch them grow from tiny babies, to toddlers, to tweens, to twenties and then let them go. Even those of us who were on the sidelines, not as biological parents, but as surrogate parents, at least for a time find the pain hard to handle, and it is only a small fraction of the pain that is felt.

One such surrogate child of mine died two weeks ago. I only found out recently, because I am sure his dad had a horrendously hard time saying those words over and over to the many friends that had been part of Michael's short 20 years. Michael as one news article said, "died doing what he enjoyed best". He was out hiking when he slipped, fell and didn't make it back. I knew him in those formative years, from around eight-twelve. We watched TV together, cross-country skied, played games, jumped on the trampoline, and he and my younger children ran all over that wonderful country home where Michael grew up. There were elk, deer, turkeys, bears, and streams and ponds for fishing. There was a big old barn to explore, and a hot tub for hanging out.

Over the years, we had less time to go and visit, and then,we moved back east, and we lost touch with Michael and his family. I will always remember Michael the way he was then, tow-headed, always reading, in love with the computer, and a very sweet and caring kid.

Thanks for the great memories, and being my surrogate son, if only for a while. You will be missed.

I found this song, by the Celtic Women to be especially appropriate for the occasion

"When the light begins to fade,
And shadows fall across the sea,
One bright star in the evening sky,
Your love’s light leads me on my way.

There’s a dream that will not sleep,
A burning hope that will not die,
So I must go now with the wind,
And leave you waiting on the tide.

Time to fly, time to touch the sky.
One voice alone - a haunting cry.
One song, one star burning bright,
Let it carry me through darkest night.

Rain comes over the grey hills,
And on the air, a soft goodbye.
Hear the song that I sing to you,
When the time has come to fly.

When I leave and take the wing,
And find the land that fate will bring,
The brightest star in the evening sky,
Is your love waiting far for me."
- Celtic Woman