John Lennon: Living His Legacy
December 8, 1980-There are a lot of dates that I forget, but this date is forever etched upon my memory.
I was sixteen years old. I had gone to bed for the evening. The door to the bedroom was open and I could hear the family televison in the background. I would soon be asleep.
Suddenly, I heard a newscaster announce that John Lennon had been shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York. I went numb.
How could that have happened? John Lennon was the one musical figure in my life at that time whose views on war and violence were known to me. To die in such a senseless and violent manner, not because someone was threatened by his views, but because of a deranged fan, left me feeling helpless. It also taught me irony in the the most bitter and terrible way possible.
It is 26 years later, and I still miss the physical presence of John Lennon on this planet. Spiritually, he is with me every time I put on a Beatles cd or one of John's cds. His message is needed now more than ever. We must keep his voice alive in our actions and by expressing the utter insanity of the inhumanity towards our brothers and sisters that is a cancer upon our existence. War, slavery, exploitation of people and of our environment...we must continue to fight to eradicate these no matter how long it takes. Any cost of the fight is much less than the cost if we continue on in the direction we are going.
Any action, no matter how small can make a difference. From activism, volunteering, and the arts to changing our lives by actions such as recycling or showing a small kindness to a stranger...all positive motion is important. A small pebble makes ripples across a large lake and a small actions can make ripples across a world.
Peace and love to you all.
I was sixteen years old. I had gone to bed for the evening. The door to the bedroom was open and I could hear the family televison in the background. I would soon be asleep.
Suddenly, I heard a newscaster announce that John Lennon had been shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York. I went numb.
How could that have happened? John Lennon was the one musical figure in my life at that time whose views on war and violence were known to me. To die in such a senseless and violent manner, not because someone was threatened by his views, but because of a deranged fan, left me feeling helpless. It also taught me irony in the the most bitter and terrible way possible.
It is 26 years later, and I still miss the physical presence of John Lennon on this planet. Spiritually, he is with me every time I put on a Beatles cd or one of John's cds. His message is needed now more than ever. We must keep his voice alive in our actions and by expressing the utter insanity of the inhumanity towards our brothers and sisters that is a cancer upon our existence. War, slavery, exploitation of people and of our environment...we must continue to fight to eradicate these no matter how long it takes. Any cost of the fight is much less than the cost if we continue on in the direction we are going.
Any action, no matter how small can make a difference. From activism, volunteering, and the arts to changing our lives by actions such as recycling or showing a small kindness to a stranger...all positive motion is important. A small pebble makes ripples across a large lake and a small actions can make ripples across a world.
Peace and love to you all.