30 years ago

John Lennon was murdered. He was only 40 years old. I was 25. It still bugs me.

So listen to this song, which still matters. It really does.

Martin, my brother, and John Lennon

Today is my brother's birthday. He lives in Florida, so I never get to celebrate it with him. I didn't get to talk with him, which also sucks, but I hope I do tomorrow. He is a good man. If he walked by you and saw you were having trouble, he would stop and help. I love him, something I don't say enough to my family members, and I'm proud to have him as my brother.

Yesterday was John Lennon's birthday. If you haven't already done so, go watch the "Imagine" video. Is it hokey? Sure. It's also strong and true and right, and we should all always be imagining and working toward peace.

Thinking of Martin and John Lennon, I know that Martin would always stand by me, and so, though I've put it in the blog before, I have to close with this Lennon cover of this classic song, which I love.

You are strong, and you are not alone

The lessons from a militarized childhood and the entries about child abuse have prompted more than a few messages from readers who were themselves abused, or who served in the military, or who got PTSD in other, usually awful, ways. I've answered all those messages, of course, but for them and for those in similar conditions who haven't written, I wanted to say two simple things.

You are strong.

You really are. You may not believe it, but you are. The proof is that you are alive, working, going about your days, holding it together most of the time--and all while precious few people in your life know or even want to hear the traumas you've suffered.

You are not alone.

We're out there, lots of us, vastly more than you would ever realize, and we're dealing with similar issues. No two of us are exactly the same, of course, nor are any two groups. My cop friend fights different shit than my vet friend; my physically abused past is not the same as that of my sexually abused friend; and on and on. Yet we all share a basic understanding of and damage from a darkness we hope most people never experience. We all share variants of the same sad lessons I've been recounting.

I think I've posted both these videos before, but I don't care; they suit the mood, so enjoy...

...a little John Lennon, tackling a classic...



...and a song that's romantic in intent but still feels right.

I miss John Lennon

I've been listening recently to Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, a two-CD set of covers of John Lennon songs. Hearing these familiar pieces again has made me realize how much of what Lennon wrote is still, sadly, applicable. The experience has also made me appreciate his original versions all the more.

That's not to say that all the covers are bad; they're not. The standout is Green Day's take on "Working Class Hero," a song I've always liked. Many others range from good to acceptable. The low point belongs to Aerosmith, which contributes all the worst parts of an unlikely collaboration with the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars on "Give Peace a Chance."

The proceeds from the CD's sales go to Amnesty International's work in Darfur (and probably elsewhere). If the Darfur region of western Sudan had oil, we'd have intervened long ago; alas, it does not.

Give to a good cause, enjoy the tunes, and then listen to the Lennon originals again.