"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see. It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out--it doesn't matter much to me."John Lennon would have been 67 today had a madman not ended his life. However, this post is not about his death, but of his life and what he did to bring truth, beauty, and peace to the world.
Lennon was my hero when I was growing up. I was a fan of his songs, his humor and his attitude. Through him I learned that there was nothing I can do that can't be done, and nowhere I can be that isn't where I'm meant to be. All I need is love. And, believe it or not, I found solace in those and other Lennon lyrics during some rather dark times of my life. They were positive messages, and helped me see that despite how bleak my situation seemed, it was within my power to change things for the better. And it was. To me it was a humanist philosophy that became part of the fabric of my life. "All You Need Is Love," "Give Peace A Chance," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Watching The Wheels," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Mind Games," and especially "Imagine," made sense to me. I had "faith in the future, outta the now." I could envision a world without wars, greed, and hunger--nothing to kill or die for--in which we all lived in peace. The big piece of the puzzle was to get others to see it too. We're still light years from that point, and the events of recent years have erased much of the progress that had been made. But you know what? It's still a sustaining vision for me and, like the song says, I'm not the only one.
In honor of John Lennon's birthday, I'd like to share a live acoustic version of "Imagine," recorded 12-17-71at New York's Apollo Theater. Enjoy.
Listen: John Lennon, Imagine (Live)
1 comment:
Good for people to know.
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