DAN BOARDMAN
I'm not going to suppose for anyone else, but, all too often, I completely gloss over the fact that Christmas isn't all tinsel and twinkling lights. It's deliberate, mind you--i do that by design. It's one of those "can't I just have this one season" things. Even when I do take a bit of time to get caught up in some global politics or to drop a dollar in the Salvation Army kettle at the local Big Lots or wherever, it's such a non-specific thought. In recent years, I've had to think about and care for family members and pets whose mortality is all too close and real. But I still try to avoid the reality of it. There's a whole lot of praying, "Please, not on Christmas." I have a friend who lives in New York whose birthday is September 11. You think her birthday has ever been the same?
So I just want to send some prayers and well wishes to those who knew and loved Dan Boardman, a musician who would seem to have been the driving force behind The Midwest. Dan passed away earlier this year. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just before last Christmas, went through the rollercoaster of bad news, good news, bad news, and succumbed to the illness in June.
I didn't know Dan. I didn't know the band. But a lot of people did. He was clearly well loved by many, who rallied around him, held benefits for him, shared their strength with him, walked with him to the end. And that's a pretty good measure of someone's life and the kind of person they were and the legacy they leave behind.
The people who shared so much with Dan are sharing a little bit of Dan with everyone else by posting this collection of holiday music that was recorded and/or performed by Dan Boardman and The Midwest. I just fell over it on Soundcloud a while back. I have no idea when any of it was recorded (except the live track, which was from 2011, and "New Year's Eve", from around the same time) or whether the songs were released at all. But its a nice memorial to Dan, I think. All of the songs, except the live track, can individually be downloaded free at Soundcloud. It's basically bar band Rock N Roll with a lot of heart and humor. How can you not love a song called "Christmas Pug"? "December Child" shows some Beatles influence, while "Christmastime" is more Classic Rock. The group's take on "Heard The Bells" is a little of both.
So I just want to send some prayers and well wishes to those who knew and loved Dan Boardman, a musician who would seem to have been the driving force behind The Midwest. Dan passed away earlier this year. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just before last Christmas, went through the rollercoaster of bad news, good news, bad news, and succumbed to the illness in June.
I didn't know Dan. I didn't know the band. But a lot of people did. He was clearly well loved by many, who rallied around him, held benefits for him, shared their strength with him, walked with him to the end. And that's a pretty good measure of someone's life and the kind of person they were and the legacy they leave behind.
The people who shared so much with Dan are sharing a little bit of Dan with everyone else by posting this collection of holiday music that was recorded and/or performed by Dan Boardman and The Midwest. I just fell over it on Soundcloud a while back. I have no idea when any of it was recorded (except the live track, which was from 2011, and "New Year's Eve", from around the same time) or whether the songs were released at all. But its a nice memorial to Dan, I think. All of the songs, except the live track, can individually be downloaded free at Soundcloud. It's basically bar band Rock N Roll with a lot of heart and humor. How can you not love a song called "Christmas Pug"? "December Child" shows some Beatles influence, while "Christmastime" is more Classic Rock. The group's take on "Heard The Bells" is a little of both.
It's a bit cliche, but the people whose lives were all about joy wouldn't want their passings to be all about sadness. Some of that is inevitable, of course. There's something that I learned rather late in my life and I try to pass it on, though I think its a realization you have to come to on your own. A sadness that is shared is divided; a joy that is shared is multiplied.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and many will gather with their families. Beyond that is Christmas and, again, many will gather with their families. I suspect that many have relatives they'd just as soon not see for the holidays. But take at least a moment to recognize that you are among the truly blessed to have family to be with. And, if you don't have family to be with this holiday season, that doesn't mean you aren't, yourself, blessed. Heck, if you've even got a computer and time to indulge in Christmas music blogs, you are massively blessed.
Whether or not you are with family or spending the holidays alone... If you have a joy in your life, reach out and share it with someone. And, if you have a sadness in your life, reach out and share that, too. A sadness that is shared is divided; a joy that is shared is multiplied. It's a basic law of spiritual physics. It's what keeps the world spinning and our heads from exploding. The joys and sadness in life--we all have them; it's what makes us human. Sharing them is what keeps us that way.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and many will gather with their families. Beyond that is Christmas and, again, many will gather with their families. I suspect that many have relatives they'd just as soon not see for the holidays. But take at least a moment to recognize that you are among the truly blessed to have family to be with. And, if you don't have family to be with this holiday season, that doesn't mean you aren't, yourself, blessed. Heck, if you've even got a computer and time to indulge in Christmas music blogs, you are massively blessed.
Whether or not you are with family or spending the holidays alone... If you have a joy in your life, reach out and share it with someone. And, if you have a sadness in your life, reach out and share that, too. A sadness that is shared is divided; a joy that is shared is multiplied. It's a basic law of spiritual physics. It's what keeps the world spinning and our heads from exploding. The joys and sadness in life--we all have them; it's what makes us human. Sharing them is what keeps us that way.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
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