When Jim Croce was alive, he wrote, sang songs, ballads. From my point of view they survived the test of time, a style reminiscent to who he was, unmarked by electronic manipulation, a-what-you-see-is-what-you get interpretation. Even when I lived near the labor camps in Delano, I'd play my radio and hear Elvis sing to his new wife Priscilla, Kui Lee's ballad, "I Will Remember You" lyrics that still give me goose bumps.
Musicians at the time represented raw talent created life within their minds, bodies and spirits trading experiences. Some were handsomely rewarded; others just played their music. It was a time when Vietnam, civil unrest, corporate greed, and inequality filled the newsstands. As a baby boomer (sensei) who listened to Elvis, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Supremes, Temptations, Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, Wilson Picket, Sam Cook, Canned Heat, Santana, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Jimmie Hendricks, Janis Joplin, Cream, Deep Purple, Neil Diamond, and of course The Kingsmen who sang “Louie Louie” I remembered how each individual and group represented a specific niche, sound, personality, spirit, inner strength and core.
At 50 years old, I talk, dream, and (like what I’m doing now), listen to the “Oldies But Goodies”, and if motivated enough, write about it. I am not the person I was, rightfully so: Abused, battered and tortured, my strengths, weaknesses, intellectual pursuits, developments: The sum parts of a whole that builds this statuesque monument of universal presence (huh?). As a karate sensei, I don’t practice karate or kickboxing anymore; at least not like I used to: How weird is that? I can’t even run a quarter of a mile without my knees and back screaming “STOP YOU FREAKING IDIOT!”.
The story is that the mind is willing but the body says, “If you do something stupid like play a game of basketball with the young kids, you’re gonna hurt, and you’re gonna hurt big time.” For those of you hard core kick boxers and MMA cage fighters, I’d love to fast forward to when you’re my age and lets’ see how well you’re able to do something simple like getting out of bed, huh? Oh, by the way, I’m not even going to address you crazy skate boarders that for some intellectual reason need to have your balls crushed “ollying” down a stair rail so that you can impress the chicks. Trust me guys, if you somehow for some unfathomable reason do impress the chicks, you’re going to need healthy balls.
Free advice from the Baby Boomer Sensei.
In future blogs, I’m going to share with you how Qigong and Tai Chi were able to replace the “No pain, no gain” mantra with a “no pain…no good” workout that allows us baby boomers a way to stay healthy.
What do you think???
Stay tuned.
There’s this thing called DNA telomere. Basically it means that cells don’t regenerate like it used to when we took high school Geometry math classes from Mr. Roberson. Even then, way back when bell bottom pants ruled the world, we knew that 45’s and LP’s had a "scratch-life."
It’s the way it was.
God invented physics.
Who are we to argue with God?
This tells the story of one Baby Boomer Sensei. Pictures, videos, letters, old newspapers, and yes even high school yearbooks provide reminders of the who that walked the earth and contributed when sex, drugs and rock and roll were actually (perceived to be) safe (well, that’s what I thought). With that said, since I cannot sing nor dance my feelings, life’s treasures and scenes captured in these humble electronic pages are meant to teach, entertain and possible resolve some wounds of mediocrity and despair. The goal of this blog is to show that within an unorganized mind, organized and provocative thoughts and ideas.
Yes, indeed, they do exist.
Right on, groovy, Peace, love and Soul Train.
