David Lee Rotten
  • Home
  • About
  • Pix
    • Pics with Friends
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Dates
  • Booking
  • Mama

When Tears Are In Your Eyes...

10/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
7 A.M.

Sitting, listening, tears streaming.

I received a lovely box in the mail yesterday from my Brooklyn boys. Among the gift items was a CD/DVD of Simon & Garfunkel (one of my very favorites!). I decided to let it keep Milton and me company this morning.

It takes me back to Easter Sunday, March 29, 1970.  I'm three months pregnant and staying with my parents on the farm. My husband of 10 months is in basic training outside of Chicago. I work at the hospital in a small city, about 10 miles away. There are no cell phones and we only get three TV stations - a few radio stations. I'm off work and enjoying my holiday with family. A call goes out in the night for all hospital staff to come help. I'm unaware and can't respond. The next morning, we learn that there was a terrible fire in town and five volunteer firemen are dead, 27 people injured with 12 admitted to the small hospital. Even in New York, Chicago, L.A., Paris, or any huge city you can think of, this would be front page news. Imagine a population of 8,000. Everyone in the town and surrounding area is either friend or relative, relative of a friend, friend of a relative, works with, goes to church with, or had their life/home saved by one of these killed.

Within the next few days, the fallen were to be eulogized, farewells given and put to rest. Several of the injured remained in the hospital. It was planned to have the audio broadcast on the public address system at the hospital. My mom was working that day and I came in for the 3-11 shift. I was able to ignore the service in the guise of busyness (Didn't want to cry at work!) Until the song. S & G in their pure, melodic harmonies singing, "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

I expounded a bit about the power of music to vividly refresh a moment in time in my post 'The Song Remembering When'. Thus the tears streaming at 7 A.M. I'm back there, back then, trying not to cry, not succeeding, feeling the anguish, feeling the sorrow of the above mentioned people, feeling my own sadness at the loss of so many, so young, so dedicated, from all walks of life, brought together in death by their mutual commitment to life.

I'll never forget. No one should.

*David Lee Rotten Note: Check out the amazing Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water performance that I was lucky to see LIVE at the 25th ANNIVERSARY ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME CONCERT- Madison Square Garden, NYC - October 29&30, 2009
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Kathy Brooks aka
    Mama Lee Rotten

    I am a writer living in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. I enjoy thrift shopping, working in the garden, singing karaoke and spending time with my children and grandchildren. I have only recently started writing, and one of my poems, "Song 4 You" has already been adapted to music by my son, David Lee Rotten (of Naked Highway), and will be released in early 2015 on his debut solo album/video project Bound.  

    Archives

    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    Categories

    All
    9/11
    America
    Animal Rescue
    Baby
    Birthday
    Break Up
    Break-up
    Cannibal
    Cheater
    Computers
    Contentment
    Depression
    Fall
    Family
    Frustration
    Grandson
    Healing
    Heartbreak
    Home
    Immigration
    Infidelity
    Insomnia
    Loss
    Love
    Memories
    Milton The Fox Terrier
    Mourning
    Music
    Musing
    Naked Highway
    Navy
    New York City
    Nostalgia
    Peaceful
    Philadelphia
    Poem
    Poetry
    Robin Williams
    San Diego
    Sexuality
    Shyness
    Sisters
    Strength
    Summer

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly